MONROE, La. – ULM loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but stranded the potential game-tying run on third base and game-winning run on second base as Missouri State claimed the series win with a 6-5 win Saturday afternoon at Lou St. Amant Field.
 
Missouri State (2-0 overall) led 6-4 entering the bottom of the ninth. Pitcher Kaleb Thomas hit Bryce Blaser with a pitch to lead off the inning, while Michelle Artzberger followed with a walk. After Hunter Day entered from the bullpen, Kade Dupont hit into a fielder's choice. Then Ian Montz hit an RBI single to right-centerfield to score Artzberger, cutting the gap to one and putting Dupont on third as the potential game-tying run. After Carson Jones struck out, Cardell Thibodeaux was hit by a pitch to load the bases. However, Marcus Aranda grounded out to end the threat as Day earned his first save.
 
The game was scoreless until the fourth inning. After starting pitcher Beau Blanchard walked the first two batters of the inning, ULM (0-2) turned to the bullpen for Dalton Burrell. Zack Stewart hit an RBI single to score Logan Chambers and Caden Bogenpohl added a sacrifice fly to plate Taeg Gollert for the 2-0 lead.
 
The Warhawks responded in a big way in the bottom of the fourth. Jake Haggard reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt, allowing Dupont to score. Thibodeaux followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Montz to level the game at 2. After Matt Abshire walked, another Missouri State error on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Colby Lunsford allowed Haggard to score to put ULM on top, 3-2.
 
The Bears punched right back in the top of the fifth. Chambers connected for a 2-run home run to right field to swing the lead back to Missouri State, 4-3. Later in the inning, Nick Rodriguez's RBI scored Stewart for the 5-3 lead.
 
ULM got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Haggard's RBI single to score Artzberger and cut the gap in half, 5-4.
 
The Warhawks had a missed opportunity in the seventh inning. Dupont walked with one out and moved to third base on a steal and a wild pitch. After Montz walked and stole second, Haggard lined into an inning-ending unassisted double play as the shortstop, Tyler Epstein, made the catch and retired Montz.
 
Missouri State added an insurance run, which proved vital, in the top of the eighth inning, as Jahlani Rogers singled through the left side to drive in Bogenpohl for the 6-4 lead.
 
ULM stranded 12 runners on base on the day, with six for Missouri State.
 
Five different Warhawks and five different Bears picked up one hit each. Montz and Haggard both had a hit and an RBI for ULM, while Chambers had a hit and two RBIs and Stewart, Rodriguez and Rogers each had a hit with an RBI for Missouri State.
 
Michael Lindsey (1-0) threw three innings out of the bullpen for the win for Missouri State, allowing one run on one hit with four strikeouts and four walks. Day tossed the ninth inning, allowing one hit with one strikeout, for his first save. Brenden Beaver threw 3 1/3 innings in the start, allowing three runs, one earned, on two hits with four walks and one strikeout.
 
Trey Lindsay (0-1) took the loss for ULM, allowing two runs in 2/3 of an inning on two hits with two walks and one strikeout. Beau Blanchard threw three-plus innings in the start, giving up two runs on one hit with two walks and three strikeouts.
 
ULM tries to salvage a game from the series at 1 p.m. Sunday at Lou St. Amant Field.