MONROE, La. – Louisiana Tech scored five runs in the top of the first inning and made it stand up in an 8-4 win over ULM Tuesday night at Warhawk Field.
 
Three hit batsmen, two walks, three hits and one ULM error led to the five first inning runs for LA Tech (12-5), giving the Warhawks (4-11) a large deficit that they were unable to make up despite four Bulldog errors on the night.
 
Bryce Wallace had a 2-RBI single in the five-run first for LA Tech while Walker Burchfield drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk and Logan McLeod had a sacrifice fly.
 
Burchfield led off the third inning with a solo home run to extend the lead to 6-0. ULM answered in the bottom of the inning as senior Ryan Cupit tripled and senior Grant Schulz brought him in to score with an infield single, bringing the Warhawks back within five, 6-1.
 
Burchfield hit his second homer of the night to lead off the fifth inning and Cole McConnell added an RBI single later in the inning to push the lead to 8-1.
 
ULM chipped away at the lead, answering with an RBI groundout by Schulz to plate senior Trace Henry in the fifth. In the seventh inning, sophomore Michelle Artzberger's 2-out double brought home Cupit to close the gap to 8-3. In the eighth, senior Mason Holt's RBI single scored junior pinch runner Travis Washburn to get within four, 8-4.
 
In the ninth inning, Schulz led off with a single. After back-to-back strikeouts, senior Colby Deaville was hit by a pitch with two strikes, and Washburn battled back from an 0-2 count to walk and load the bases, bringing sophomore Matthew Lee to the plate as the potential game-tying run. Lee fell behind 0-2 and worked back to a full count, but eventually struck out to end the game.
 
Holt had three hits to lead ULM while Schulz had two hits and two RBIs. Burchfield led LA Tech with two hits and three RBIs.
 
Greg Martinez (2-0) earned the win for LA Tech, firing four innings, allowing one run on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Redshirt freshman Henry Shuffler (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on three hits with two walks and no strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning.
 
ULM opens Sun Belt Conference play at 4 p.m. EDT/3 p.m. CDT Friday at Coastal Carolina.