MONROE, La. – Missouri State hit a pair of home runs in a four-run sixth inning and added three more runs in the seventh to break open a 3-3 tie and went on to the 10-4 win over ULM in the 2024 season opener Friday afternoon at Lou St. Amant Field.
Missouri State was led by Taeg Gollert's three hits and two RBIs, while Dylan Leach hit a 3-run home run and had four RBIs. Jahlani Rogers hit a solo blast among his two hits and had two RBIs. Zack Stewart added two hits, including a triple, for the Bears.
ULM was paced offensively by
Michelle Artzberger's three hits in his return to the lineup after missing most of the 2023 season with an injury.
Colby Lunsford had two hits in his ULM debut, including a solo home run, while
Kade Dupont added two hits with an RBI.
Reed Metz (1-0) picked up the win on the mound for Missouri State after not allowing a run or hit in 1 2/3 innings with two strikeouts and two walks. Eric Loomis threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Jason Schaaf threw a scoreless ninth inning for the Bears. Brandt Thompson allowed three runs on six hits with one strikeout and one walk over 2 2/3 innings in the start.
Chipper Menard (0-1) suffered the loss for ULM. After throwing three shutout innings, Menard allowed four runs on four hits in his fourth inning of work, while striking out five with no walks.
Davis Oswalt,
Aidan Haynes and
Dalton Hitt worked scoreless innings of relief.
Cam Barlow, who had not allowed a run over 16 innings pitched across three previous starts on Opening Day, allowed three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks in two innings of work.
Missouri State opened the scoring in the top of the first. Tyler Epstein and Logan Chambers worked back-to-back walks to open the game. Gollert followed with an RBI double down the right field line to put the Bears up, 1-0. Barlow settled down by striking out three of the next four batters to get out of the frame with minimal damage.
The Bears added to the lead in the second. After Barlow retired the first two hitters, Epstein and Chambers clubbed back-to-back doubles, with Chambers driving in Epstein. Gollert followed with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 3-0.
ULM answered in the bottom of the third as Lunsford led off the inning with his first home run as a Warhawk. Later in the inning,
Jake Haggard's RBI groundout scored
Bryce Blaser and
Kade Dupont's RBI triple plated Artzberger to knot the game at 3.
After Menard spun three scoreless innings with just one hit, an infield single, he ran into trouble in the sixth inning. Caden Bogenpohl was hit by a pitch to open the inning and Nick Rodriguez added a single. On the first pitch after a mound visit, Leach hit a 3-run homer to give Missouri State the lead for good, 6-3. Rogers followed three pitches later with a homer down the right field line to expand the lead to 7-3.
The Bears continued to pour it on in the seventh inning. Missouri State loaded the bases to start the inning. Rodriguez's fielder's choice scored Gollert, Leach's RBI groundout brought in Stewart and Rogers' RBI single plated Rodriguez for a 10-3 lead.
ULM got a run back in the bottom of the seventh. After loading the bases with one out,
Ian Montz hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Artzberger. However, a strikeout ended the threat with ULM trailing, 10-4.
Two double plays cut short ULM threats in the eighth and ninth innings, as Missouri State handed ULM its first season-opening loss at home since 2013, a streak of five-straight wins.
ULM and Missouri State play the middle game of the series at 2 p.m. Saturday at Lou St. Amant Field.
