THIBODAUX, La. – ULM senior left-handed pitcher Tyler Lien worked into the eighth inning for the first time in his career and the Warhawks produced two runs late, doing enough to hang on and pick up a 2-1 win over Nicholls Sunday afternoon at Ray E. Didier Field, giving ULM a 2-1 series win over the Colonels.
 
Lien (1-1) fired a career-high seven-plus innings. He carried a shutout into the eighth inning, allowing just one run on three hits with five strikeouts and one walk. He threw just 62 pitches.
 
"I really had everything going," Lien said. "I know I'm not really going to blow it by anybody. I know who I am. (ULM head coach Michael Federico) was calling pitches for me. We're on the same page a lot of the time. He was calling fastball right down the middle. It's going right to people and the wind was blowing in. It ended up working out for me alright."
 
Senior Lucas Wepf entered the game with runners on first and third bases and no outs. He allowed only one run to score in escaping the jam, and then proceeded to retire the Colonels in order in the ninth in pitching two shutout and hitless innings for the save, his first of the season.
 
Lien won the pitchers' duel with Nicholls' Nick Heckman (0-1) who threw 7 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
 
"He was phenomenal this afternoon," Federico said. "Both pitchers had some really quick innings with easy outs. Two times Tyler threw less than six pitches in an inning. That's amazing. It was two offenses that were just hitting balls right at people. He had three pitches going. He was using his off-speed really well. They were trying to ambush some of his fastballs, and he was kind of getting them between pitches.
 
"We needed something positive to happen and Tyler Lien was really, really positive with everything," Federico said.
 
With the game scoreless through six innings, ULM (4-10 overall) finally broke through in the seventh. Senior Colby Deaville was hit by a pitch with one out. Sophomore Caleb Sterling followed with a single to the gap in right-center field. Deaville motored around the bases and slid in safely ahead of the tag at home plate to put the Warhawks on top, 1-0.
 
In the top of the eighth, senior Mason Holt belted his first home run of the season to left, doubling the lead to 2-0, which chased Heckman from the game.
 
"I was just looking for something in the zone and just try to do some damage like always," Holt said. "I've been hitting the ball right at people all year, so really the only thing you can do is keep swinging."
 
Nicholls (9-8) knocked Lien out of the game in the bottom of the eighth. Leadoff hitter Alec Paz was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a single by Jaden Collura. Federico made the switch to Wepf out of the bullpen. Kyle Boudreaux followed with a bunt in front of home plate. Sterling fired to second to retire Collura, but Deaville was knocked over on the slide, allowing Paz to score. Deaville threw home wildly, allowing Boudreaux to advance to second. However, Wepf retired Nick Fields on a ground out and Parker Coddou on a fly out to escape the inning with the lead.
 
Wepf then retired the Colonels on six pitches in the ninth to earn the save, giving ULM its first series win of the season.
 
"We needed it going into conference, especially," Holt said. "We got Coastal (Carolina) this weekend. They're going to be a good club. I think this 3-1 run we've had going is good. It's good momentum going into this upcoming week."
 
ULM has won three of its last four games. The Warhawks host I-20 rival Louisiana Tech at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Warhawk Field.