NATCHITOCHES, La. -- The ULM bullpen combined to throw 8.2 innings of one-run baseball to lead the Warhawks to a 5-2 midweek road victory over Northwestern State on Wednesday (April 9) night at Brown-Stroud Field in Natchitoches.

ULM (16-18, 3-9 Sun Belt) used five relievers to shut down the Northwestern State (20-14, 12-6 Southland) offense. Joey Cirelli, Holden Hess, Adam Tubbs, Brandon Brewer and Landon Grigg limited the Demons to five hits and one run in 8.2 innings and struck out a combined six hitters.

The Warhawks struck first and scored a run with one out in the top of the first following a Colby Lunsford single to right field and a Bryce Blaser walk. Henry Garcia Jr. hammered a double down the right field line and Lunsford crossed home plate for the game's first run. After starter Jackson Conn recorded the first out on a fielder's choice, the Demons tied the game on a wild pitch. Cirelli forced NSU to strand a pair of runners on base and threw two quick outs as the game remained even heading to the second inning. A fielding error, a sacrifice bunt and a balk moved Jake Haggard to third base with two outs before NSU salvaged the final out. Hess entered the game on the mound in the bottom of the second and surrendered a run on an RBI groundout to short. ULM responded in the third inning after Lunsford singled to lead off the third and proceeded to steal second base. Blaser poked a single to right and ULM had runners at the corners with no outs. Lunsford alertly slid into home plate after a passed ball went off the glove of the NSU catcher and the Warhawks tied the game. With two outs and Blaser on third, Kade Dupont roped a single that plated Blaser to give ULM a 3-2 edge. Hess fired a 1-2-3 third inning that started with a punchout, and the Warhawks controlled a 3-2 lead after three.

After ULM was sent down in order, Hess tossed his second consecutive perfect inning and struck out his second batter of the night in the fourth. Hess navigated around a two-out infield hit in the fifth inning and completed his fourth inning of work in relief as ULM maintained its 3-2 advantage through five. NSU's pitching staff prevented 11 consecutive Warhawks from reaching base, as the Warhawks were retired in order in the sixth. Adam Tubbs was summoned from the bullpen and continued the scoreless streak after allowing just one base runner and striking out one in the sixth.

With one out in the top of the seventh, Tony Lindwedel served a single into left field and was ULM's first base runner since the third inning. On a 1-1 pitch, Isaiah Walker belted his third home run in two games and sent a pitch over the left field wall, padding the ULM lead to 5-2. Blaser singled and swiped second base with two outs before the end of the inning. Brandon Brewer worked around traffic after NSU loaded the bases with two outs and induced a foul out to Haggard to end the seventh. Landon Grigg assumed pitching duties in the eighth inning, making his first relief appearance as a Warhawk. With two runners on and one out, Grigg pounded two key strikeouts to keep NSU from trimming ULM's lead to wrap up eight innings. Walker completed another multi-hit game with a single in the ninth and Blaser reached base for the fourth time on a four-pitch walk in the top of the ninth. The first two Demons singled to start the bottom of the ninth and NSU brought the tying run to the plate. A walk with two outs sent the winning run to the plate. Dupont hustled from second base to scoop up a sharply hit grounder and threw out the batter-runner at first base to end the game and complete ULM's double midweek sweep over the Demons.

Hess was credited with the first win of his career after completing 4.0 innings on the bump and striking out two. Tubbs and Brewer both earned holds while Grigg earned his first save of the season by shutting down the Demons in the final two innings. At the dish, Walker, Lunsford and Blaser all tallied multi-hit games and Lunsford led the Warhawks with two runs scored. Walker's two-run homer totaled two RBI while Garcia Jr. and Dupont also tacked on an RBI.

ULM returns to Lou St. Amant Field on Friday (April 11) night to begin a pivotal Sun Belt Conference series versus the Ragin' Cajuns with first pitch set for 6 p.m. in Monroe.