MONROE, La. – ULM used a 3-run first inning to go on to an 8-4 win in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, while Troy bounced back with a 6-4 win in the second game to take the series at Lou St. Amant Field.
 
ULM (12-8 overall, 1-2 Sun Belt Conference) concludes an eight-game homestand, and a stretch of 18 home contests in 21 games to open the season, with a midweek contest vs. Central Arkansas at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Lou St. Amant Field.
 
GAME 1: ULM 8, Troy 4
 
Easton Winfield set the tone with a double off the left-field wall on the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning and scored on Colby Lunsford's RBI single, while Cardell Thibodeaux hit a 2-out, 2-RBI single to cap a 3-run first inning as ULM took the lead for good on the way to an 8-4 win to even up the series.
 
Troy (14-7, 2-1) cut the gap to two with Ethan Kavanagh's sacrifice fly in the top of the third, bringing home Aidan Gilroy to make it 3-1.
 
ULM responded in the bottom half of the inning as Shawn Dalton Weatherbee's RBI groundout plated Michelle Artzberger to push the lead back to three, 4-1.
 
The Warhawks loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Lunsford hit into a double play, allowing Matt Abshire to score, as ULM's lead increased to 5-1.
 
Troy made another push with a 3-run home run by Brooks Bryan in the seventh inning to pull within a run, 5-4.
 
ULM answered back in the bottom of the inning. Bryce Blaser's sacrifice fly plated Lunsford to increase the lead to two, 6-4. Moments later, Weatherbee laid down a sacrifice bunt with the squeeze on for ULM. Troy pitcher Jay Dill flipped the ball home to catcher Blake Sutton ahead of Artzberger arriving at the plate, but the ball came free on the tag, allowing Artzberger to score for the 7-4 lead. Later in the inning, Matt Abshire hit a 2-out RBI single to score pinch runner Jayson Zmejkoski as ULM resumed a four-run lead, 8-4.
 
Thibodeaux had two hits and two RBIs, while Abshire and Lunsford each had two hits with an RBI. Winfield added two hits and scored a run. Gilroy had two of Troy's four hits for the game.
 
Beau Blanchard (1-1) earned his first win for ULM, throwing 3 1/3 innings in the start, allowing one run on one hit with one strikeout and four walks. Parker Seay threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit, three strikeouts and one walk. Chipper Menard closed out the game with two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and one walk.
 
Clete Hartzog (3-1) took the loss for Troy, allowing five runs, four earned, on four hits with one strikeout and three walks.
 
GAME 2: Troy 6, ULM 4
 
ULM started strong in game two as well as Blaser hit a 2-RBI double to left, bringing home Artzberger and Lunsford for the 2-0 lead after one inning.
 
Troy punched right back in the top of the second inning, as Brooks Bryan picked up a leadoff walk and Tremayne Cobb Jr. followed with a double. Kyle Mock hit a 2-RBI single to knot the game at 2.
 
The Trojans took their first lead of the afternoon in the top of the fourth as Cobb doubled to open the inning and Mock brought him home with an RBI single for the 3-2 advantage.
 
Troy stretched the lead to two in the fifth inning as Butcher hit a 2-out RBI single to right center, scoring Kavanagh from first base on the play to extend the lead to 4-2.
 
ULM bounced back in the bottom of the fifth inning as Winfield and Lunsford earned back-to-back walks to start the inning. After Artzberger's sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Jake Haggard hit a bloop double on the left field line to bring home both runs and tie the game at 4.
 
Troy answered with two more runs in the top of the sixth inning. The Trojans loaded the bases with no outs. After a fielder's choice allowed ULM to pick up the first out of the inning, Gilroy hit an RBI single to right for the 5-4 lead. A wild pitch brought in Lewis to increase the lead back to two, 6-4.
 
Troy relievers Ryan Pettys (1-1) and Noah Manning did not allow the Warhawks a good scoring chance in the final four innings, as the Trojans held on for the 6-4 win to take the series. Pettys earned the win, throwing two shutout innings with one hit and one strikeout, while Manning earned his second save, firing three shutout innings with one hit and one strikeout.
 
Brandt Corley (1-1) took the loss in relief for ULM, throwing one inning with three runs on two hits, two strikeouts and one walk. Hollis Huff threw a perfect first inning in his first appearance in three weeks due to injury, while Trey Lindsay, Brandon Brewer, Aidan Haynes and Carson Orton each threw a scoreless inning.
 
Haggard and Blaser had two RBIs each for ULM. Mock had three hits and three RBIs to lead Troy.