MONROE, La. -- The ULM baseball team fell in the second game of the series to South Alabama, 10-2, on Friday (May 16) night at Lou St. Amant Field.
Before the game, ULM baseball recognized 12 of its senior players in a group that included
Isaiah Walker,
Tony Lindwedel,
Barham White,
Colby Lunsford,
Jack Clark,
Marcus Aranda,
Zach Shaw,
Adam Tubbs,
Brandon Brewer,
Michelle Artzberger,
Hollis Huff and
Joey Cirelli.
ULM also celebrated Lou St. Amant Day and gave away 1,000 Lou St. Amant bobbleheads to fans. American Idol star Clara Rae sang the star-spangled banner, and both VIPs threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
ULM starting pitcher
Landon Grigg picked off a South Alabama base runner off first base to end the top half of the first inning. The Warhawks scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first when senior
Isaiah Walker, who got on base with a leadoff single, crossed home plate before South Alabama could tag out
Kade Dupont for the third out of the inning. After South Alabama took the lead in the top of the second with two home runs, senior
Jack Clark drew a walk and fellow senior
Marcus Aranda lined a single to right field with two outs before the Jags prevented ULM from scoring.
After both teams had nothing doing on offense in the third, South Alabama's Ethan Melton belted a grand slam that increased the Jags' lead to five. Senior
Zach Shaw struck out a Jaguar to end the inning and recorded a pair of strikeouts to end the top of the fifth. The senior duo of Clark and Aranda reached base to start the bottom of the fifth with a walk by Clark and Aranda's second hit of the night. Walker drove in Clark on a sacrifice fly to right field and the Warhawks trimmed South Alabama's lead to four. ULM senior relief pitcher
Hollis Huff pitched a strikeout and a fly out with two runners on in the top of the sixth and kept the Jaguars off the scoreboard.
Bryce Blaser singled with two outs in the sixth and the Warhawks trailed 6-2 after six innings.
Joey Cirelli entered the game in the top of the seventh inning with two outs after Huff finished his appearance with a strikeout. Cirelli followed with a strikeout of his own to conclude the top half of the seventh. After a scoreless bottom of the seventh, South Alabama extended its lead in the top of the eighth when Duncan Mathews singled home two runs and two Jaguars scored on a ULM error. Walker walked and reached base for the second time of the night in the eighth.
Adam Tubbs wrapped up his outing with a strikeout and handed the baseball to
Austin Ackel, who recorded the final out in the ninth on a fly out. The Jags held ULM to no runs in the bottom of the ninth, and South Alabama evened the series with a 10-2 win.
The season finale for ULM baseball is set for Saturday (May 17) afternoon at 1 p.m. versus South Alabama at Lou St. Amant Field.
