MONROE, La. -- The ULM baseball team (9-13, 1-4 Sun Belt) rallied to score four runs and tie the game in the seventh, but No. 19 Southern Miss (17-6, 4-1) scored the go-ahead run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly and claimed the series with a 7-6 game two win on Saturday (March 22) afternoon at Lou St. Amant Field.
Southern Miss struck first with three runs in the first inning after a Davis Gillespie RBI knock and a two-run home run by Matthew Russo.
Isaiah Walker doubled down the left field line as the leadoff hitter and
Henry Garcia Jr. knocked in Walker with an RBI double down the right field line to give ULM a run in the first. Golden Eagles' designated hitter Joey Urban homered to left center and increased USM's lead to 4-1. After a scoreless bottom of the second, ULM starting pitcher
Ashton Bassett fired a 1-2-3 inning and quieted the Golden Eagles' bats in the third. The Warhawks were retired in order in the bottom of the third, and Southern Miss maintained its 4-1 lead through three innings.
Bassett recorded the first two outs in the top of the fourth before Urban singled and USM catcher Tucker Stockman lifted a home run to left center, extending the Golden Eagles' lead to five.
Michelle Artzberger and
Tony Lindwedel singled in the fourth inning with one out. USM benefited from a lineout double play that ended the inning.
Joey Cirelli assumed pitching duties in the fifth inning and navigated around an error and tossed a scoreless fifth. With one out in the bottom of the fifth,
Angelo Aleman smashed his first home runas a Warhawk, a 391-foot blast,  to left center and cut into Southern Miss' lead. A leadoff hit by pitch caused no damage for Cirelli in a scoreless top of the sixth. No Warhawk reached base in the sixth, and the Golden Eagles held a 6-2 lead after six.
Lindwedel caught a Golden Eagle attempting to steal second base for the second out of the seventh. After two hits from the Golden Eagles, Cirelli forced USM to ground out to keep ULM within four.
Kade Dupont pulled a double down the left field line with one out in the seventh. After a fly out, ULM rallied to tie the game and plated four runs with two outs. Walker began the two-out rally with a base hit up the middle that scored Dupont.
Bryce Blaser followed with a hit through the left side. Garcia Jr. kept the line moving with his second RBI double of the day that scored Walker.
Jacob Billings evened the score with a two-RBI hit through the right side that scored Garcia Jr. and Blaser. Southern Miss responded in the top of the eighth and reclaimed the lead on a Seth Smith sacrifice fly that scored Nick Monistere. Following a scoreless bottom of the eighth, Josh Gregorie fired a strikeout for the final out of the top of the ninth and ULM trailed by one run heading into the bottom of the ninth. The Warhawks were unable to reach base in the ninth, and Southern Miss hung on for a 7-6 win, securing the SBC series.
The Warhawks tallied 11 hits with Walker leading the way collecting a trio of hits. Garcia Jr. and Billings both drove in two RBI. ULM swung for six extra-base hits that included two doubles each by Walker and Garcia Jr., a double by Dupont and a home run by Aleman. Bassett earned a no decision after a start that featured four innings and six hits and runs allowed. Cirelli took the loss after throwing three innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits. Gregoire completed two innings and allowed one hit while not allowing a run.
The ULM baseball team will wrap up its series versus No. 19 Southern Miss Sunday (March 23) with first pitch set for 1 p.m.
