BOONE, N.C. – A six-run sixth inning lifted ULM baseball (20-16, 8-6 Sun Belt) over App State (18-15, 6-8 Sun Belt) with a 14-9 win Saturday afternoon.
 
Warhawk pitching recovered after allowing eight runs through the first three innings, with only one allowed in the last six. Offensively, they scored the most runs since the 14-3 run-rule win over Louisiana Tech on Mar. 31.
 
ULM struck first at the top of the first inning with a groundout, allowing Davis Mauzy to score from third. With Micah Dean at third, the away team had a chance to add on, but two straight outs limited them to one.
 
The Mountaineers took control of the game with a five-run bottom of the first. A wild pitch, a two-RBI single and a two-run blast by Jake Mummau created a 5-1 score going into the second.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the second inning to keep the margin at four. An error, walk and bunt single by Dean loaded the bases with no outs to start the inning. A sacrifice fly and wild pitch scored two runs to make it a 3-5 game, but the Warhawks left two runners in scoring position going into the bottom frame.
 
App State continued the trend of answering the Warhawks' score with a three-run bottom of the third. A groundout and flyout allowed two runners to score before a base hit brought home a third, leading to an 8-3 Mountaineer advantage. Kade Dupont singled to start the top frame of the fourth, but three straight swinging strikeouts ended the threat.
 
App State failed to get on base for the first time in the series in the bottom of the fourth with a three-up, three-down frame. After a leadoff double by Dean. Bryce Blaser advanced to first on a throwing error, allowing the shortstop to score and putting the Warhawks closer with a four-run margin.
 
In the top of the sixth inning, Dupont produced a double to lead off before a walk and hit by pitch loaded the bags with no outs. Mauzy lined a ball into left field to score two and put ULM closer with an 8-6 score. A groundout and Jake Haggard's single tied the game with two runs brought home. Marcus Aranda placed an exclamation point on the inning with a two-run homer, marking his sixth in the past seven games. His tenth long ball of the season gave the Warhawks a 10-8 lead.
 
Garrett Wiethorn joined in the home run hitting once again in the series with a two-run blast in the top of the seventh as the Warhawks possessed a four-run lead. With two runners on at the top of the eighth, Dayne Wray sent a ball into the gap in left-center field to score two more for ULM. The home team scored one more run in the bottom of the inning, but the Warhawks held on and evened the series with a game two win.
 
With his ten home runs, Aranda is the second Warhawk to reach double-digit homers in a season since 2022. Wiethorn also collected his fourth long ball of the season. Dean (three), Mauzy (two) and Dupont (two) all had multi-hit days. Five hitters collected multi-RBI performances with Blaser having three and Mauzy, Aranda, Wray and Wiethorn having two.
 
On the mound, Seth Cooper earned his first win of the season with 2.1 innings pitched and no runs allowed. Holden Hess produced his fifth save with four innings of work to close out the game.
 
ULM is back tomorrow at Noon CT for the series finale against the Mountaineers in Boone.