MONROE, La. – Southern Illinois scored two runs to regain the lead in the top of the seventh and then slowed ULM's offensive flow over the final three innings to hold on for a 10-9 win to take the series Sunday afternoon at Warhawk Field.
 
The series finale featured both teams leading by at least two runs and the score was tied four times as the two teams traded blows throughout the game.
 
ULM (1-2) also missed opportunities in the loss, stranding 13 runners on base for the second consecutive game while two errors led directly to runs for the Salukis (2-1).
 
"We didn't play defense," ULM head coach Michael Federico said. "You've got to be fundamentally sound. We have to make some routine plays. I understand we're going to make errors sometimes. We have to hit with two strikes. We didn't do a good job of that. We didn't do a good job of hitting with runners in scoring position. We didn't do a lot of things right. Hopefully we can continue to keep learning from it. I know it's early, but baseball is one of those things where it can get away from you quickly if you don't figure some of these things out immediately."
 
SIU opened the game with a run in the top of the first as Kaeber Rog earned a one-out walk and J.T. Weber followed with a single. A passed ball allowed the runners to move up a base, and Pier-Olivier Boucher's sacrifice fly to left-center field allowed Rog to score for the 1-0 lead.
 
ULM tied it up in the second. Junior Travis Washburn's drive to right-center field hit off the top of the wall and caromed over the head of Weber and out into center field. Washburn motored around the bases and beat the relay throw to the plate to pick up the second inside-the-park home run of his career as the Warhawks tied the game at 1.
 
SIU answered right back in the third. Rog led off with a double and moved to third with two outs. A throwing error on a ground ball allowed Rog to score to put the Salukis back on top, 2-1.
 
ULM responded in the bottom half. With runners on first and second and two outs, true freshman William Perkins, making his first career start, earned his first career hit with an RBI single to left, scoring senior Grant Schulz to tie the game at 2.
 
The Warhawks went in front in the fourth inning. Seniors Trace Henry and Mason Holt were each hit by a pitch before Schulz singled to center to score Henry for the 3-2 lead. After sophomore Michelle Artzberger walked to load the bases with two outs, Perkins was hit by a pitch to force home Holt for the 4-2 advantage.
 
SIU matched the runs in the top of the fifth when Boucher hit a two-run home run to knot the game at four.
 
The Salukis regained the lead in the sixth inning. With two outs, Grey Epps reached on an error to extend the inning. Cody Cleveland followed with a single and Rog walked to load the bases. Weber hit a bases-clearing double to left center and then scored on Boucher's RBI double to build an 8-4 lead.
 
ULM punched back in the bottom of the sixth. Junior pinch-hitter Austin Beech led off with a single and Artzberger followed with a base hit. After Perkins reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt to load the bases, Washburn hit a sacrifice fly to deep right that was caught at the wall by SIU's Evan Martin. Beech scored to cut the gap to 8-5. After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, sophomore Carson Jones hit a 3-run home run to left center, the second home run of his career, to tie the game at 8.
 
SIU wasted no time in regaining the lead, this time for good. Jeremy Schork led off the top of the seventh with a solo home run to right center. Nick Hagedorn doubled and Epps followed with an RBI double for a 10-8 lead.
 
ULM did not threaten again until the ninth inning. Henry doubled with one out and advanced to third on Holt's fly out. With two outs, Schulz picked up an RBI infield single to score Henry and cut the gap in half. However, Beech flew out the center to end the game.
 
Schulz had two hits and two RBIs, while Henry had two hits. Jones drove in three runs while Washburn and Perkins had two RBIs each. Weber had three hits and three RBIs for SIU while Boucher had two hits and four RBIs.
 
Trey McDaniel (1-0) earned the win for SIU out of the bullpen, allowing four runs, one earned, on three hits with one strikeout and no walks. Jake Combs pitched the final three innings for his first save. Sophomore Wyatt Blalock (0-1) suffered the loss, pitching 1/3 of an inning, giving up a run on two hits with no walks and no strikeouts.
 
ULM tries to bounce back with its first midweek contest of the season, visiting Northwestern State at 6 p.m. Tuesday.