MONROE, La. – Jake Haggard and Dayne Wray each hit a three-run homer as ULM baseball (10-9, 1-0 Sun Belt) won the first of a three-game series against Texas State (12-5, 0-1 Sun Belt) 12-4 Friday night.
 
"That was a big win, we needed that," head coach Ford Pemberton said. "It was a good Friday night."
 
Ten of the 12 runs scored by the Warhawks came with two outs in the inning. They also scored runs in five of the eight frames in the ballgame.
 
Adam Brodnax allowed a runner to get on base but collected two strikeouts to end the threat. Dean Mauzy singled, and Haggard reached on an error to put two runners on base in the bottom frame. Wray followed that up by lining a double to left field to clear the bases and put ULM up 2-0. Marcus Aranda scored Wray from second with a single to right field, resulting in a 3-0 lead after one.
 
After the Bobcats were blanked at the top of the second, Mauzy and Blaser got on base with two singles. With two outs in the inning, Haggard powered a ball to left center field for a home run, going 418 feet to put the Warhawks up by a commanding six runs.
 
After a leadoff walk to start the top of the third, Brodnax recorded two strikeouts and forced a fly out to keep the lead 6-0. Marcus Aranda doubled to start the bottom frame before Kade Dupont also doubled to bring the runner home, making the lead seven.
 
Texas State got on the board at the top of the fourth. With two outs in the inning, three straight RBI-singles put three runs for the away team, shrinking the margin to four runs. Blaser went to second base in the bottom frame but couldn't score with two straight groundouts.
 
A single by the Bobcats started the fifth inning, bringing in Adam Tubbs in relief. The left-hander forced three straight outs to end the threat and keep the lead at four. TXST used a fielder's choice at the top of the sixth to bring another run home and decrease the gap to three runs.
 
At the bottom of the inning, with Micah Dean at first and Mauzy at third, a double steal resulted in the third-base runner coming home, bringing the lead back to four. Blaser walked to get on base as he and Dean advanced on a wild pitch to put both runners in scoring position. With two outs, Wray homered for the sixth time this season, adding three runs for the Warhawks, resulting in an 11-4 lead after six.
 
"He's been great and has a really good ability to get the barrel on the ball," Pemberton said. "It was a good pitch to hit in a clutch moment."
 
After a scoreless top of the frame, Dupont reached third base with a walk and two stolen bases. Mauzy collected his third hit of the game and drove in the 12^th run of the night. The Bobcats plated two more runs at the top of the ninth, but the deficit was too great as ULM notched its first SBC win.
 
Mauzy led the team with three hits as Wray, Aranda and Dupont also collected multi-hit performances. Wray also had a five-RBI game, with Haggard also producing three of his own. Adam Tubbs secured his second win of the year for the home team, going 3.2 innings and allowing only one unearned run on 53 pitches thrown.
 
"We put ourselves in a really good position with the bullpen," Pemberton said. "We've got to show up ready to go tomorrow."
 
The Warhawks will attempt to win the series tomorrow night with game two scheduled for 6 p.m. at Lou St. Amant Field.