RUSTON, La. – ULM used a five-run fifth inning to break the game open and built as much as a seven-run lead en route to completing the season sweep of I-20 rival Louisiana Tech, 8-5, Wednesday night at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
"It's a difficult game, playing on the road," ULM head coach
Michael Federico said. "It's spring break for us, so it's a challenge keeping our guys focused after the long trip back (from App State) and the Easter holiday)."
Wednesday's win marks the first win in Ruston for ULM (13-20 overall) since March 26, 2019. Thanks to ULM's 10-6 win at home against LA Tech (16-18) on March 21, it also is the first time ULM has won multiple games against LA Tech in a single season since 2007 and the first time the Warhawks have swept a season series from their I-20 neighbors since 2005.
The two teams traded runs in the early innings. ULM's
Riley Davis hit an RBI double to right-center field with two outs in the top of the first inning, scoring
Kade Dupont for the 1-0 lead. LA Tech tied the game in the third inning when Logan McLeod hit a two-out RBI single back through the middle to score Will Safford.
The Warhawks regained the lead for good in the fifth inning.
Zack Floyd hit a 2-run home run to left go put ULM back on top, 3-1. Davis followed with his second RBI of the night, hitting an RBI single to left to bring home Dupont to extend the lead to 4-1. The Warhawks loaded the bases later in the inning as
Cardell Thibodeaux drew a walk to force in Weatherbee for the 5-1 advantage.
Travis Washburn reached on a fielder's choice to allow Davis to come home to push the lead to 6-1.
"We've struggled to put some big innings up," Federico said. "It was nice to get the five spot there in the fifth and to tack on a few more later."
ULM added two more runs in the sixth inning. Floyd doubled to lead off the inning and eventually scored on a wild pitch to bring the lead to 7-1.
Jake Haggard picked up an RBI double to left center with two outs, driving in Davis to give the Warhawks their largest lead of the night, 8-1.
LA Tech's Ethan Bates hit a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut the gap to three, 8-5, but ULM's
Nicholas Judice and
Carson Orton slammed the door on the mound over the final two innings to secure the win.
ULM threw nine different pitchers, with each one throwing an inning. Judice (2-0) was selected for the win after throwing a perfect eighth inning with a pair of strikeouts. Orton earned his second save of the season and 17th of his career with a scoreless ninth inning, including a strikeout.
Trey Lindsay,
Chris Kean,
Cole Cressend,
Steve Owings and
Dalton Burrell all threw scoreless innings in the win.
LA Tech threw 10 different pitchers, with Isaac Crabb taking the loss, allowing Floyd's 2-run home run on two hits with one strikeout over 1/3 of an inning.
Floyd and Davis led ULM's offense with two hits and two RBIs each. McLeod was the only Bulldog with two hits.
Overall, a combined 41 players appeared in Wednesday's game.
ULM returns to Lou St. Amant Field for a Sun Belt Conference series against South Alabama. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
