MONROE, La. – Junior Travis Washburn belted a walk-off 2-run home run to right field in the bottom of the 11th inning, giving ULM its first walk-off win of 2022, rallying for a 5-3 win over Georgia State Friday night at Warhawk Field.
 
"I knew the way (Georgia State pitcher Cameron Jones) was pitching and his tendencies said that he was going to throw a slider there," Washburn said of the game-winning home run. "He kind of hung it a little bit and I just got a good barrel on it."
 
Washburn's homer capped a night where ULM's pitching staff kept the Warhawks (7-12-1 overall, 2-1-1 Sun Belt Conference) in the game and the offense did just enough to force extra innings.
 
"That's Friday night baseball," ULM head coach Michael Federico said. "Two arms, the starters both going at it. It came down to the bullpen. (Sophomore Nicholas) Judice was outstanding and then, of course, Carson Orton was dynamite and didn't want to come out of the game. He struggled with a couple of pitches but was able to navigate out of some jams."
 
Sophomore Carson Orton (1-0) came out of the bullpen with two outs and a runner on first base in the eighth inning and proceeded to throw the final 3 1/3 shutout innings, allowing just two hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
 
Orton knew when he went in the game, he wasn't coming out until his team won.
 
"It's a lot easier than watching," Orton said. "I'd rather be out there. My heart is a little slower out there on the mound."
 
Orton retired 10 of the 12 batters he faced, giving up a two-out single in the eighth inning and a one-out double in the 11th.
 
"I just trust my defense," Orton said. "I know if I throw my strikes and they put it in play, my defense is going to make the plays."
 
Washburn said the pitching staff helped get the Warhawks through a tough offensive game.
 
"Tonight, it started with the pitching staff," Washburn said. "They threw extremely well. They gave us that confidence. We were making plays defensively. At the plate, we know it's going to come around. We're going to get it done. That's where it started tonight, was on the mound."
 
Georgia State (14-8, 3-1) scored on a 2-out RBI double by Luke Boynton in the top of the first inning, but ULM answered in the bottom half by loading the bases with no outs. An RBI bunt single by senior Colby Deaville tied the game, and a sacrifice bunt with an RBI by Washburn put ULM up, 2-1.
 
The lead held until he fifth inning when Caleb Steward led off the frame with a solo home run for Georgia State to tie the game at 2.
 
GSU claimed the lead in the sixth inning as Boynton hit another 2-out RBI double, this time scoring Max Ryerson, for the 3-2 lead.
 
ULM tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. Sophomore Caleb Sterling reached base on a dropped pop up with two outs, advancing to second base. Freshman pinch runner William Perkins used two wild pitches to move to third and score to tie the game at 3.
 
The Warhawks did not have a hit from the first inning until sophomore Michelle Artzberger's single with one out in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Sophomore Cam Barlow threw six innings in the no-decision, allowing three runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Sophomore Nicholas Judice pitched 1 2/3 shutout innings, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts.
 
Brandon Kaminer took a no-decision in the start for GSU, throwing 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits with five walks and five strikeouts. Ryan Watson followed with 2 1/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen while Chad Treadway also threw a clean inning.
 
Washburn and Deaville had two hits each for ULM, while Washburn had three RBIs.
 
Game two of the series is at 2 p.m. Saturday at Warhawk Field.