SAN ANTONIO – UIW's Cameron Crotte hit an RBI single to center field to break an extra-inning stalemate, as the Cardinals took the opening game of the series from ULM, 5-4 in 13 innings, Friday night at Sullivan Field.
ULM mustered five hits on the night, with three of them coming in the two-run third inning. UIW scattered 12 hits throughout the night.
UIW reliever Steve Hayward (2-0) threw 5 1/3 perfect innings out of the bullpen with 11 strikeouts to earn the win. Hayward combined with Luis Rodriguez, who threw 3 2/3 shutout innings with just one hit, to retire the final 17 Warhawk batters of the night.
Carson Orton took the loss, giving up just the game-winning run on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.
The Warhawk offense looked ready to roll early in the night. UIW starting pitcher Kayden Cassidy walked leadoff hitter
Shawn Dalton Weatherbee on four pitches to open the game, and then hit
Zack Floyd with a 3-2 pitch to put the first two batters of the night on base. After a double steal,
Michelle Artzberger's RBI groundout brought home Weatherbee for the 1-0 lead. A wild pitch allowed Floyd to score to extend the lead to 2-0.
After ULM starting pitcher
Cam Barlow allowed a solo home run to Rey Mendoza to lead off the second inning, the Warhawks responded in the third. After Floyd reached on an error with one out,
Kade Dupont hit his first career home run to left, extending ULM's lead to 4-1.
The Warhawks forced Cassidy to throw 45 pitches in the third inning, loading the bases after Dupont's homer. However, ULM was unable to add to the lead.
UIW turned to the bullpen to start the fourth inning with Cassidy at 87 pitches through three innings. Relievers Braden Berry, Rodriguez and Hayward combined to throw 10 shutout innings, allowing just two hits with one walk and 13 stirkeouts.
UIW steadily climbed back in the game over the middle innings. Wilson Ehrhardt hit an RBI single to right to score Grant Randall in the fifth inning to cut the lead to 4-2. Hernan Yanez hit a solo home run with one out in the sixth inning and Warren Laster hit a leadoff home run in the seventh inning to tie the game at 4, leading to the pitcher's duel between
Nicholas Judice, Orton and the UIW bullpen.
Dupont's 2 RBIs led ULM on the night. Yanez had three hits for UIW, including the solo home run, while Laster and Randall had two hits each.
The two teams meet again at 2 p.m. Saturday at Sullivan Field.
