MONROE, La. – Cardell Thibodeaux's RBI single to score Travis Washburn in the bottom of the eighth inning helped push ULM to a 4-3 win over Memphis Tuesday night at Lou St. Amant Field, snapping a mini three-game losing streak.
 
"We definitely needed to get back out there," ULM head coach Michael Federico said. "I was proud of our guys for responding. Yesterday was our day off. We had to take a day off. There were a lot of guys that were up here and they were hungry. Guys were lifting on their own, getting some extra ground balls and doing what they had to do to kind of get their bodies back acclimated."
 
Memphis took the early lead in the top of the second inning as Will Spears' two-out RBI double brought home Tyler Heckert for the 1-0 lead. ULM starting pitcher Hollis Huff bounced back in the third inning as Memphis loaded the bases with two outs, but Huff induced an inning-ending groundout back to the mound to keep the lead at one run.
 
ULM answered in the bottom of the third inning. After Carson Jones singled on the infield, Davis Meche followed with an RBI double to deep left-center field, allowing Jones to score from first base to knot the game at 1.
 
Memphis again put pressure on in the fourth inning, as an error and a single by Brayland Skinner put runners on first and second with one out. However, Huff forced Cameron Benson to foul out to third and struck out Braden Webb to end the threat.
 
Again the Tigers threatened in the fifth inning, with Austin Baskin's double and Jonah Sutton's walk putting men on first and second with one out. Federico brought Dalton Burrell out of the bullpen, who struck out Heckert and got Brennan DuBose to pop out to end the inning.
 
ULM finally broke through for the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Michelle Artzberger opened the inning with a single and has reached base safely in 26 consecutive games dating to last season. With the hit-and-run on, Zack Floyd singled through the right-side of the infield and Artzberger raced to third. Floyd then induced a delayed double steal, with Artzberger dashing home and sliding in ahead of the throw back to the plate to take the 2-1 lead. On the next pitch, Floyd stole third and scored on an errant throw by the catcher to push the lead to 3-1.
 
"With some of the hit and runs and things we were doing, and with the shifts and everything else that people are doing right now, you have to do some of those things to try and give yourself some gaps in there, so some balls can get through the infield," Federico said. "We have to do it and we can run."
 
Memphis responded in the seventh. With two outs, Heckert hit a 2-RBI double down the left-field line, scoring Baskin and Anthony Hansen, to tie the game at 3.
 
The Warhawks had a chance to regain the lead in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases on three straight hits, including two bunts, to open the inning. However, Dalton Kendrick came out of the bullpen for Memphis and struck out the next three hitters to keep the game tied at 3.
 
After Nicholas Judice worked around a runner on second with one out in the top of the eighth inning, ULM regained the lead for good in the bottom half. Travis Washburn singled to right on an 0-2 pitch and stole second base. Thibodeaux followed with an RBI single to left, plating Washburn for the 4-3 lead.
 
Carson Orton came out of the bullpen in the top of the ninth inning to pick up his first save of the season and 16th of his ULM career.
 
Meche had three hits and an RBI to lead the ULM offense, while Floyd and Jones had two hits apiece. Baskin had three hits for Memphis, while Heckert had two hits and two RBIs and Spears added two hits with an RBI.
 
Judice (1-0) earned the win out of the bullpen, allowing two runs on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Huff threw 4 1/3 innings in the start, allowing one run on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Kendrick (1-1) took the loss for Memphis, allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts in two innings.
 
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than in this dugout or with this team right now," Federico said. We'll keep fighting and scratching and figuring things out."
 
ULM continues the homestand at 6 p.m. Wednesday against Northwestern State at Lou St. Amant Field.