MOBILE, Ala. – ULM used a six-run fourth inning and strong pitching efforts from Joey Cirelli, Parker Seay and Aidan Haynes to pick up a 7-4 win over South Alabama Saturday afternoon at Stanky Field to even the series.
 
Carson Jones had two hits, including a triple and three RBIs, to lead ULM (22-29 overall, 8-18 Sun Belt Conference), while Hasani Johnson, Shawn Dalton Weatherbee and Easton Winfield also had two hits. Michelle Artzberger blasted a 2-run home run in the win, his sixth homer of the season.
 
Brennan Holt had three hits for South Alabama (28-22, 12-14), while JG Bell had two hits and Micah Morgan chipped in two RBIs.
 
Cirelli (1-3) pitched into the sixth inning in the longest outing of his career to earn the win for ULM. He threw five innings, allowing four runs on six hits with one walk. Seay followed with three scoreless innings, allowing two hits with two walks and five strikeouts, while Haynes earned his first career save with a scoreless ninth inning, allowing two walks with two strikeouts.
 
Leif Moore (2-4) lost his third-straight start for South Alabama, allowing four runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
 
ULM had to rally for the win on Saturday.
 
South Alabama opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as Cirelli hit Will Turner with a pitch and Brennan Holt bunted for a single. After a sacrifice bunt by Lucas Ismaili moved the runners to second and third, Micah Morgan hit a 2-RBI single to right to put the Jaguars on top, 2-0. JG Bell grounded into a double play to end the threat, as Jones, the shortstop, scooped the ball at full speed, spun and touched the bag at second and fired to first to retire the side.
 
USA put a runner on first with one out in the second inning when Rett Johnson grounded into an inning-ending double play to cut the threat short.
 
ULM broke through with a big fourth inning. Easton Winfield walked to open the inning. Artzberger followed with a 419-foot 2-run home run to left center to even the score at 2.
 
Following Artzberger's homer, ULM kept the inning rolling. Weatherbee hit a bloop single to right field and stole second base. After Bryce Blaser walked, South Alabama went to the bullpen to bring in right-handed pitcher Tyler Smith. It didn't stop ULM's run, as Matt Abshire moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. Jake Haggard picked up an RBI groundout to score Weatherbee for the 3-2 lead. Hasani Johnson added a single as Blaser moved to third base. Jayson Zmejkoski drew a walk to load the bases for Jones. Trailing 0-2 in the count, Jones hit a fly ball to right field, dropping it in between a dive by right fielder Ethan Melton and the centerfielder Turner, allowing all three runners to score on the triple, pushing ULM to a 6-2 lead.
 
The Warhawks tacked on another run in the top of the sixth inning. Hasani Johnson led off with a single and moved to second on Zmejkoski's sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Winfield hit an RBI single to plate Johnson for the 7-2 advantage.
 
Cirelli pitched into the sixth inning, but issued a walk and back-to-back hits, including an RBI single by Ismaili, before being lifted from the game for Parker Seay. Seay allowed just one inherited runner to score, issuing a pair of strikeouts in the inning around an RBI single by Bell to cut the gap to 7-4.
 
In the seventh inning, Seay issued a leadoff walk before striking out the next three batters to end the inning. He walked the leadoff batter again in the eighth inning and gave up a one out single to Bell to bring the potential tying run to the plate. However, Seay forced pinch hitter Jacob Haley to ground into the inning-ending double play on a hard hit ball to third base, as the lead remained at 7-4.
 
Haynes entered for the ninth inning and walked two batters, but picked up two strikeouts to secure his first save of his career.
 
ULM plays for the series win at 1 p.m. Sunday at Stanky Field.