MONROE, La. – Six Louisiana Tech pitchers limited ULM to four hits as the Bulldogs picked up a 6-2 win over the Warhawks Tuesday night at Lou St. Amant Field.
Louisiana Tech (27-12 overall) struck first as Dalton Davis led off the game with a double and Cole McConnell followed with a 2-run home run for the 2-0 lead.
ULM (17-19 overall) responded in the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run to left by
Shawn Dalton Weatherbee, cutting the deficit in half, 2-1.
The Bulldogs responded with another homer in the third, as Ethan Bates hit a solo blast to right to increase the LA Tech lead back to two, 3-1.
ULM had chances to cut into the deficit in the third and fourth innings, putting runners on second and third bases with two outs in each inning, but were unable to come up with a two-out hit.
The two sides traded runs in the sixth inning. Ethan Bates was hit by a pitch to open the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. Michael Ballard's RBI single brought Bates home for the 4-1 lead. ULM responded in the bottom half as
Michelle Artzberger walked, extending his reached base streak to 55 games, and moved to second when Weatherbee was hit by a pitch. After
Bryce Blaser's sacrifice bunt,
Colby Lunsford's RBI groundout plated Artzberger to cut the lead to 4-2.
LA Tech added two insurance runs in the eighth inning, as Adarius Myers hit a leadoff double and scored on Grant Comeaux's RBI fielder's choice. Comeaux scored later in the inning on Davis' RBI fielder's choice for the 6-2 advantage.
ULM put two runners on again in both the eighth and ninth innings, but were unable to push another run home, as LA Tech held on for the 6-2 win.
Weatherbee reached base four times for ULM with a home run, two walks and was hit by a pitch. McConnell had two hits, including the homer, and two RBIs to lead Louisiana Tech, while Davis, Bates and Ballard each had two hits with an RBI.
Connor Nation (2-0) earned the win in a short start for LA Tech, throwing two innings, allowing one run on one hit. Six Bulldog pitchers combined to allow two runs on four hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts.
Joey Cirelli (0-2) took the loss for ULM, allowing two runs on three hits in the start.
ULM opens a Sun Belt Conference series at 6 p.m. Friday at Southern Miss.
