MONROE, La. --  The ULM baseball team scored eight unanswered runs and defeated Louisiana Tech on Tuesday (April 15) night at Lou St. Amant Field.
 
With the win, the Warhawks (19-19, 5-10 Sun Belt) evened the season series with the Bulldogs (23-14, 8-3 CUSA) and will play the rubber game next Wednesday (April 23) night in Ruston.
 
ULM tallied 14 hits, six of which came with two outs, and five extra-base hits to jump out to an 8-0 lead within the first five innings of the game. For the seventh time this season, the Warhawks' pitchers combined to reach double-digit strikeouts and fanned 12 Bulldogs in Tuesday night's game. Each pitcher for ULM recorded at least one punchout.
 
ULM starter Hollis Huff tossed two scoreless innings as the Bulldogs stranded three runners on base early in the opening two innings. Colby Lunsford singled in the bottom of the second for ULM's first hit of the night. Brandon Brewer struck out a Bulldog to end the top of the third in his first inning of relief. The ULM offense found its groove in the bottom of the third and exploded for five runs. With a runner on, Kade Dupont lined a triple into the right-field corner that scored Isaiah Walker for the game's first run. Bryce Blaser followed with an RBI double down the left-field line that scored Dupont. After a mound visit, Henry Garcia Jr. made it three-consecutive extra-base, RBI hits for the Warhawks on a double down the line that plated Blaser. After a groundout, Michelle Artzberger increased the Warhawks' lead to four with a double on a 1-2 count. Jake Haggard continued the monster inning for the Warhawks with an RBI knock through the left side to score Artzberger. Major Brignon singled on a bunt for ULM's sixth hit of the inning and the Warhawks led 5-0 after three innings.
 
Following Brewer's second scoreless inning, Dupont, Blaser and Garcia Jr. all reached base to load the bases with one out. Lunsford scored Dupont on a sacrifice fly to right and pushed the lead to 6-0. Holden Hess struck out one in the fifth out of the bullpen for ULM. Haggard and Tony Lindwedel singled in the bottom of the fifth before Walker drilled a triple down the right-field line that scored two and padded the ULM lead to eight. Louisiana Tech's Eli Berch hit a two-run home run and trimmed the Bulldogs' deficit to six in the top of the sixth frame. Landon Grigg struck out a batter to end the top half of the sixth as Louisiana Tech stranded two runners in scoring position.
 
After a 1-2-3 inning at the plate for the Warhawks, Grigg worked around a leadoff single and fired two strikeouts in a spotless seventh. Artzberger singled for his second hit of the night to start the seventh inning. Ashton Bassett sat down a pair of Bulldogs on strikeouts in the top of the eighth. Blaser poked a single for his third hit of the night in the eighth and registered three or more hits for the fourth time this season. Sebastian Mexico singled home a run in the bottom of the ninth for the Bulldogs before Josh Gregoire finished off the ninth inning and the Warhawks secured the midweek win, 8-3.
 
Blaser, Garcia Jr., Artzberger and Haggard all finished with multiple hits while Walker, Dupont, Lunsford, Brignon and Lindwedel produced one hit each. Seven different Warhawks recorded an RBI with Walker driving in two runs to lead the team. Brewer was awarded the win after pitching two scoreless innings and struck out one. Grigg led all Warhawks with three strikeouts while Bassett, Gregoire and Huff all whiffed two hitters. Hess and Adam Tubbs both added a strikeout in relief appearances.
 
The Warhawks will travel to Troy for a three-game set with the nationally-ranked Trojans starting on Thursday (April 17) at 6 p.m.