MONROE, La. – ULM's ninth-inning rally fell short Saturday night, as Bradley held on for an 8-6 win to even up the season-opening series at Lou St. Amant Field.
 
"We didn't pressure them enough early on," ULM head coach Michael Federico said. "Their starter kind of settled in in his first collegiate start. He was only at 55 pitches through five innings."
 
ULM (1-1) trailed 8-3 to the bottom of the ninth inning and had nobody on with two outs. After Matt Abshire singled, Carson Jones walked and pinch hitter Zack Floyd was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Freshman Cardell Thibodeaux unloaded a bases-clearing double to left-center field, bringing the Warhawks within two, 8-6. However, a flyout ended the game before ULM could get any closer.
 
Bradley (1-1) opened the scoring in the second inning as Ryan Vogel hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Connor Manthey for the 1-0 advantage.
 
ULM answered with a 3-run third inning. Kade Dupont hit a sacrifice fly to score Jarrett McDonald to tie the game at 1. Michelle Artzberger's RBI single put ULM in front, plating Thibodeaux. Chenar Brown added to the lead with an RBI ground out to plate Shawn Dalton Weatherbee for the 3-1 lead.
 
Bradley wasted no time answering, adding four in the top of the fourth inning. Vogel picked up an RBI single before Connor O'Brien crushed a 3-run home run to left, putting the Braves back up, 5-3.
 
Bradley added two more runs in the fifth inning as Easton Harris picked up an RBI single and Vogel earned his third RBI of the night with an infield single for the 7-3 lead.
 
The Braves added an insurance run in the top of the ninth as Cal McGinnis collected an RBI single to bring home Jackson Chatterton.
 
Travis Lutz (1-0) earned the win for Bradley, throwing seven innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. Brayden Marks came out of the bullpen to record the final out for his first save. Cole Cressend (0-1) suffered the loss for ULM, allowing five runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings.
 
Thibodeaux had his second two-hit game of the weekend and added the three RBIs to pace ULM, while Abshire came off the bench to have two hits with a run scored. Vogel and O'Brien had two hits and three RBIs each for Bradley, while Manthey and McGinnis also tallied two hits apiece.
 
The two teams meet in the rubber match at 1 p.m. Sunday at Lou St. Amant Field.