LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and four more in the sixth inning to rally from an 8-3 deficit and go on to the 12-9 win over ULM to clinch the series Saturday night at Gary Hogan Field.
The game was pushed back from a scheduled 4 p.m. start to 6:30 due to projected weather moving through the area. A lightning delay pushed the first pitch back again to 7.
Little Rock's Noah Dickerson struck first with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning for the 1-0 lead.
ULM answered in the top of the second as
Grant Schulz hit a solo home run while
Colby Deaville scored later in the inning on a wild pitch for the 2-1 advantage.
The Warhawks added on in the third inning as
Mason Holt hit a 2-RBI triple and scored on a delayed double steal before
Michelle Artzberger hit an RBI single to extend the lead to 6-1.
Little Rock answered in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs, Dickerson and Canyon McWilliams hit back-to-back RBI doubles to cut the deficit to 6-3.
ULM pushed the lead back to five in the fourth inning as Holt hit a 2-run home run to left field, his 11th of the season, to go back up five, 8-3.
The Trojans answered right back with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Jorden Hussein and Tyler Williams had RBI singles and Dickerson hit a 2-RBI double to get within a run, 8-7.
Little Rock continued the surge in the sixth inning. McWilliams hit an RBI single and Miguel Soto connected for a bases-clearing double to go in front, 11-8.
The Trojans added an insurance run in the eighth inning on an RBI groundout by Dickerson. ULM picked up a run in the ninth as Deaville scored on Artzberger's RBI single, falling 12-9.
Deaville had three hits while Holt has two hits and four RBIs while Artzberger had two hits and two RBIs for ULM. Little Rock was led by Williams, Dickerson and McWilliams with three hits each, while Dickerson had five RBIs.
Chance Vaught (3-4) shut down ULM after the hot start. He threw three innings out of the bullpen to earn the win, allowing no runs on one hit with five strikeouts and three walks. Jacob Weatherly earned his third save and second in as many nights with 1 1/3 innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits with three strikeouts.
Mikel Howell (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on three hits with a strikeout over an inning.
The series concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday.
