JONESBORO, Ark. – ULM scored three runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, rallying for an 8-6 win over Arkansas State to open a three-game Sun Belt Conference series Friday night at Kell Field and Tomlinson Stadium.
 
ULM (15-23 overall, 5-10 Sun Belt Conference) trailed 6-5 entering the top of the ninth inning. Zack Floyd was hit by a pitch with one out to put the potential tying run on base. Travis Washburn entered as a pinch runner and stole second base on the next pitch. Jake Haggard struck out swinging on a pitch that bounced in the dirt for a dropped third strike, with Washburn advancing to third on the play, but now with two outs in the inning. With ULM down to its last out, a passed ball on the next pitch allowed Washburn to race home to tie the game at 6.
 
Jayson Zmejkoski followed with a walk and moved to second on Carson Jones' third hit of the day, a single to left field. After a pitching change, Kade Dupont singled through the left side to plate Zmejkoski for the 7-6 lead. Shawn Dalton Weatherbee then singled to center, bringing home Jones, to extend the lead to 8-6.
 
"They were relentless at the end," ULM head coach Michael Federico said. "They had to persevere through some things. We had 12 hits, but 12 singles, six walks, four errors and only put up eight runs. I'm disappointed in the offense in that, we got to get some extra base hits in there at times. But I'm really excited that we were able to find a way to win and win in that fashion as well."
 
In the bottom of the ninth inning, A-State's Kyler Carmack walked with one out, but the next batter hit a fly ball to right. Carmack took off for second base, but Washburn made the catch in right field and threw back to first base to double off Carmack to end the game.
 
ULM took the lead in the top of the second inning on Jones' RBI single to center to score Floyd. A-State (12-22, 3-11) answered in the bottom of the inning on Cross Jumper's RBI double, bringing home Daedrick Cail to knot the game at 1.
 
ULM picked up another run in the third inning as Chenar Brown reached on an error, as the ball went between the legs of the second baseman and into center field on a potential double-play ball. Instead, Weatherbee scored for the 2-1 lead, putting Brown on first and Davis on third with nobody out. However, a line-out double play helped A-State limit the damage, keeping the ULM lead at 2-1.
 
The Warhawks expanded the lead to three in the fifth inning as Haggard hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Chenar Brown and Zmejkoski singled to shortstop with two outs, beating the throw to first to drive in Floyd for the 4-1 lead.
 
A-State answered in the bottom of the fifth inning as Cason Tollett hit a 2-run homer to left field to cut the deficit to one, 4-3. Brandon Hager followed with a double to chase ULM starting pitcher Cam Barlow from the game. He threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with three walks and one strikeout.
 
ULM pushed the lead back to two in the seventh inning as Jones hit an RBI single to left, bringing home Haggard for the 5-3 lead.
 
A-State bounced back again in the bottom of the seventh as Kody Darcy hit a sacrifice fly and Jumper was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in Tollett to tie the game at 5.
 
The Red Wolves took the lead in the eighth inning as Allen Grier reached on a double to open the inning and moved to third on Wil French's sacrifice bunt. Grier then scored on Blake Burris' fielder's choice, as Kade Dupont threw home to try and get the lead runner, but the throw was late as A-State went ahead, 6-5.
 
Dupont and Jones led ULM with three hits each, while Jones had two RBIs and Dupont had one. Jayson Zmejkoski had two hits and an RBI while Riley Davis had two hits. ULM stranded a season-high 13 men on base for the second-straight game. Carson Orton (4-3) threw 2 1/3 innings out of the bullpen for the win, allowing one run on two hits with two walks and one strikeout.
 
A-State was led by Tollett's two hits and two RBIs. Darcy and Cail also had two hits for A-State, with Darcy adding an RBI. Jumper also drove in a pair of runs. Arlon Butts (2-3) suffered the loss, allowing four runs, two earned, on three this with one walk and four strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings.
 
The series continues at 3 p.m. Saturday in Jonesboro.