MONROE, La. – Old Dominion built a 5-0 lead and held off ULM's ninth-inning rally attempt in a 6-2 win over the Warhawks to sweep the Sun Belt Conference-opening series at Lou St. Amant Field Sunday afternoon.
ODU (18-2 overall, 3-0 Sun Belt Conference) scored two runs in the top of the first inning. The Monarchs took advantage of a hit batsman, error and a wild pitch to bring Luke Waters home with the first run. After a walk and an infield single, Tyler Wheeler's RBI infield single scored Grimes for the 2-0 lead.
ULM starting pitcher
Chipper Menard settled in after the first inning, working three scoreless innings before running into trouble in the fifth inning. Grimes led off the inning with a solo home run before an error and two singles loaded the bases with no outs. Thomas Wheeler's RBI fielder's choice brought home Hunter Fitz-Gerald for the 4-0 lead. A delayed double steal allowed Alex Bouche to score for the 5-0 advantage.
The Warhawks answered in the bottom of the fifth inning as
Carson Jones hit a two-out RBI single to score
Jayson Zmejkoski to close to 5-1.
ODU took the run back in the top of the seventh inning. With two outs, Thomas Wheeler tripled down the right-field line and scored on Tyler Wheeler's infield single to push the lead back to five, 6-1.
ULM scored a run in the bottom of the eighth, as
Riley Davis reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Jones to score to cut the deficit to 6-2.
The Warhawks threatened again in the ninth inning.
Jake Haggard walked with one out. With two outs and down to ULM's final strike, Jones singled to right field to move pinch-runner
Travis Washburn to second base. Down to the final strike again,
Shawn Dalton Weatherbee hit a hard ground ball to second base, which was bobbled and allowed everyone to move up a base safely on the error. However, a strikeout brought an end to the threat, as ODU clinched the win and series sweep.
Menard (2-2) threw 4 1/3 innings in the start, allowing five runs, two earned, on five hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.
Steve Owings,
Russell Derbyshire,
Justin Robinson and
Carson Orton combined to throw 4 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Bailey Matela (2-0) earned the win out of the bullpen for ODU, throwing two shutout innings, allowing one hit with three strikeouts. Dylan Brown threw 4 1/3 innings in the start, allowing one run on three hits with three walks and one strikeout.
ULM was led offensively by Jones' three hits and RBI, while Haggard added two hits. Alex Bouche, Thomas Wheeler and Tyler Wheeler had two hits apiece for ODU.
ULM returns to Lou St. Amant Field at 6 p.m. Tuesday to face I-20 foe Louisiana Tech.
