LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Henry Garcia Jr.'s solo home run in the top of the ninth inning was the difference in the ULM baseball team's 7-6 victory over Little Rock on Wednesday (March 26) afternoon at Gary Hogan Field.

With the score tied 6-6, Garcia Jr. stepped up to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning and drilled a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall to give the Warhawks the go-ahead run. Josh Gregoire recorded the final three outs of the game and earned his third save of the season, extending the Warhawks' winning streak to two games and splitting the season series versus the Trojans.

The Warhawks (11-14) tallied 10 hits including a three-run home run by Angelo Aleman and the game-winner by Garcia Jr. Bryce Blaser added an RBI single on a bunt while Kade Dupont drove in ULM's second run of the game in the first inning. ULM pitchers held Little Rock (9-16) to nine hits and racked up six punchouts. Austin Ackel started the game and tossed two innings for the Warhawks with one strikeout. Joey Cirelli, Aidan Haynes, Justin Robinson and Ashton Bassett worked the middle stages of the game out of the bullpen and combined for three strikeouts. Brandon Brewer was the winning pitcher after completing two innings and not surrendering a run.

After the Warhawks' first two hitters flew out to start the game, Garcia Jr. began a two-out rally with a base hit to center field. Following a Michelle Artzberger walk, Jacob Billings reached on an error that scored Garcia Jr. for the game's first run. Dupont followed with an RBI hit two center that scored Artzberger before a caught stealing ended the inning. ULM starting pitcher Austin Ackel struck out a Trojan in a 1-2-3 first inning and preserved the Warhawks' early lead. Little Rock answered in the bottom of the second inning when Jayce Blalock hit a two-run home run. Bryce Blaser singled in his second at-bat of the day for ULM's third hit of the afternoon in the third. Joey Cirelli entered the game for the Warhawks on the mound and completed a scoreless third inning.
 
Following a scoreless fourth inning, ULM recaptured its lead in the fifth inning. Major Brignon began the inning with an infield hit followed by an Isiah Walker single to right field that moved Brignon to third with one out. Brignon scored on a Blaser bunt single and gave the Warhawks a 3-2 advantage. Aidan Haynes tossed a 1-2-3 inning and maintained ULM's lead through five. Artzberger and Billings both walked at the beginning of the sixth inning. With two runners on and one out, Angelo Aleman blasted his second home run of the road trip over the left center field fence and increased the Warhawks' lead to 6-2. The Trojans stormed back to even the score in the bottom half of the inning and the game was even heading into the seventh inning.

Garcia Jr. walked and stole his second bag of the contest in the top of the seventh inning. After an Artzberger walk, the Trojans locked down the final out of the inning on a strikeout. Brewer avoided damage in the seventh despite a two-out double. Jake Haggard singled to right with two outs in the eighth and advanced on a wild pitch before Little Rock escaped the inning without giving ULM the lead. Little Rock placed runners at the corners with one out in the bottom of the eighth when Brewer induced an inning-ending double play that halted the Trojans' offensive momentum. Garcia Jr. came through with a clutch home run to pull the Warhawks ahead with two outs in the ninth. Gregoire struck out two batters in a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth inning and slammed the door shut for his third save of the season.

The ULM baseball team will begin a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at Arkansas State in Jonesboro on Friday (March 28) with first pitch set for 6 p.m. at Tomlinson Stadium-Slayton Family Field.