MONROE, La. – The ULM baseball team (5-8) dropped the opening game of a three-game set to UT Arlington (4-6) on Friday (March 7) night at Lou St. Amant Field.
 
Warhawks' starter Landon Grigg struck out two in the first inning, but the Mavs plated a run off a fielding error and an RBI double by Xander McAfee for a quick 1-0 lead. UTA starting pitcher Caylon Dygert recorded consecutive 1-2-3 innings versus the ULM offense. After Grigg retired UTA in order for the top of the third, Marcus Aranda served an outside pitch down the right field line that went for a double, which was ULM's first hit of the night. Dygert induced a groundout and struck out his fifth batter of the night to extend the shutout through three innings, and the Mavs led 1-0 through three.
 
The Mavericks worked two walks with two outs in the top of the fourth inning before Grigg recorded a fielder's choice to end the inning. After both teams were held scoreless in the fifth inning, UTA right fielder Tyce Armstrong led off the sixth with a base hit. A pair of popouts and a walk put two UTA runners on with two outs. With one swing of the bat, Maxwell Mims increased the Mavericks' lead to 4-0 after a home run over the left field wall. Aranda walked and Angelo Aleman singled at the beginning of the sixth inning for ULM. The Warhawks stranded both runners and UTA maintained its four-run lead.
 
Zach Shaw worked around two base runners in the top of the seventh and pitched a scoreless frame. Following a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh for the Warhawks, Shaw avoided damage in the eighth despite a two-out double by UTA. The Warhawks scored their first run of the night with two outs in the eighth after Michelle Artzberger blasted his second home run of the season on a 376-foot shot to right field. UTA plated four insurance runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning on a McAfee double to left, a Xavier Melendez RBI base hit to left center and a bases loaded walk by Parker Airhart. The Warhawks scored one in the bottom of the ninth from a UTA error and the Mavs took game one, 8-2.

The ULM offense generated four hits and struck out 14 times. Artzberger and Aranda swung for extra-base hits while Bryce Blaser and Aleman both had one single. Grigg struck out three batters in 5.1 innings pitched and allowed three hits and two earned runs. Shaw tossed 2.2 innings and struck out two, surrendering three hits and one earned run.

Game two of the ULM/UTA series will be played at Lou St. Amant Field tomorrow (March 8) at 11 a.m.