MONROE, La. – After a first inning that saw four Trojan runs, the ULM Warhawks (26-27, 11-17 Sun Belt) fell to visitor Troy (28-26, 16-12 Sun Belt) in a 6-4 score. While ULM tried to bounce back with runs spread across the contest, the lead was too much to overcome. The Trojans collected six runs off nine hits, as the Warhawks scored four runs off seven hits. Neither team recorded an error.
The Trojans opened with a vengeance, Aaron Piasecki leading off with a single. Back-to-back outs looked to shut down any scoring attempts, until Jimmy Janicki singled to land runners on the corners. Steven Meier hit the RBI single to get Troy on the board early, a single loading the bases as a hit-by-pitch drove in a second run. A two-RBI single from Sean Darnell made it a four-spot in the first before
Brandt Corley struck out the final batter.
Davis Mauzy also led off with a single for the Warhawks, as
Jake Haggard hit an RBI single to score Mauzy and get on the board.
With the three-run edge in the second, Josh Pyne hit a solo home run to score the fifth run of the contest. After ULM held the Trojans to just one run, Benjamin Stubbs struck out two Warhawks to keep it a 5-1 score through two innings. Corley kept Troy without a score in the third with back-to-back strikeouts, as ULM looked to turn the tides.
Zach White led off with a double, a wild pitch advancing him to third. A walk put runners on the corners as a wild pitch scored White for the second run of the contest.
The Warhawk defense–specifically
Jackson Landry at first base–held the Trojans going 1-2-3 in the fourth.
Micah Dean and
Jake Griffith walked in the bottom frame to land runners on, but three outs kept the home team at bay. A quick two outs in the fifth got ULM is good defensive position, but a single and a walk got runners on quick. The bases were loaded with another walk as a hit-by-pitch drove in the sixth run for Troy. With the deficit stretched back out to four, The Trojans held the Warhawks three-up, three-down.
After keeping Troy scoreless in a 1-2-3 sixth innings, the Warhawks were able to add to their tally.
Kade Dupont singled as a walk landed two on base.
Jake Griffith hit the RBI single that drove in the third run, ULM cutting the lead to three. In the fourth scoreless inning for the Trojans, pitcher
Seth Cooper struck out the final batter to strand a runner on second. But Troy returned the favor, getting the Warhawks three-up, three-down in the bottom frame.
Cooper struck out the leadoff hitter to hold the Trojans to a three-up, three-down eighth inning. Troy pitcher Zach Crotchfelt returned the favor with a strikeout in the bottom frame.
Micah Dean walked and advanced on a passed ball, as Landry singled to score Dean to make the score 6-4 through eight. Josh Pyle doubled down the right field line with one out to get in scoring position in the top of the ninth, but the Warhawks captured all three outs to shut down the frame. Back-to-back strikeouts secured the first win of the series for the Trojans, 6-4.
Six different Warhawks logged hits, with
Jake Griffith recording the lone multi-hit game of the night.
Zach White's double marked the only extra-base hit as Griffith,
Jackson Landry and
Jake Haggard each registered RBIs. Along with his 56
th RBI of the season, Haggard recorded his 700
th at bat as a Warhawk, now at 702 in his career and sitting at sixth in ULM's all-time records.
Brandt Corley was credited with the loss, seeing 4.2 innings of action, walking two and striking out three.
Seth Cooper saw 4.1 innings in relief, refusing to allow a run or a walk as he allowed just two hits while striking out three.
The Warhawks will be back in action against the Trojans on Friday (May 15) at 6 p.m. at Lou St. Amant Field.
