ULM Warhawks

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Two total runs through as many games led to ULM baseball (24-23, 10-13 Sun Belt) dropping the first two games of the weekend series against Southern Miss (33-14, 15-8 Sun Belt) with scores of 2-1 and 3-1.
 
The Warhawks struck out a total of 35 times on Saturday, with game two featuring 19 Ks.
 
Game 1: Southern Miss 2, ULM 1 -
After two quick outs to start the game, Bryce Blaser drew a walk before Jake Haggard lined a ball through the left-center part of the infield to put two runners on. A fly out to right field ended the threat and kept the Warhawks scoreless. Two strikeouts and a fly out forced by Adam Brodnax kept the Golden Eagles off the board as the score remained unchanged after an inning.
 
Kade Dupont led off the top of the second with a double as Sutton Lewis drew a walk to put another two on for ULM. Davis Mauzy drew another walk to load the bases with no outs before a double play allowed Dupont to score from third, making it a 1-0 Warhawk lead. Southern Miss recorded the final out of the inning to limit the damage to a single run going into the bottom of the second.
 
Brodnax retired three more batters, collecting another strikeout in the process of two scoreless innings. Micah Dean led off the top of the third inning with a single before a groundout by Blaser moved him over to second. A base hit into right field by Haggard sent Dean home, but he was thrown out at the plate, keeping the score at 1-0.
 
The Golden Eagles threatened at the bottom of the third, using two walks and a fly-out to put runners at the corners, but a strikeout ended the opportunity, resulting in a one-run lead for the Warhawks after the third. Kyle Morrison quickly erased the deficit with his 14^th homer of the season, a 384-foot bomb into right field, which tied the game at 1-1.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the fifth inning, with the only action coming from a single by the home team. The trend continued through the sixth and seventh innings as the scoreless tie carried into the eighth.
 
With two outs at the top of the eighth inning, Blaser lined a hit through the right side to mark the first hit since the fourth inning. A walk put two runners on with Blaser in scoring position, but a strikeout ended the inning and the late opportunity. Brodnax pitched through his eighth frame in a 1-2-3 inning.
 
After the Warhawks once again went down in order, two runners got on for the Golden Eagles in the bottom of the ninth, ending Brodnax's day. The freshman went 8.1 innings with five hits allowed and seven strikeouts on 107 pitches thrown. Tyler Roark entered the game and forced a double play to send the game to extras.
 
The Warhawks continued to get shut down by relief pitcher Colby Allen to keep the game tied going into the bottom of the 11^th inning. With a runner at first, Matthew Russo ended the game with a line drive to right field, scoring the run and finalizing a 2-1 result.
 
Game 2: Southern Miss 3, ULM 1 -
Dean got to third base at the top of the first inning to start the game, but a strikeout ended the threat and kept the game scoreless. Marcus Aranda led off the top of the second inning with a solo shot to left field, traveling 372 ft. to put the Warhawks up 1-0.
 
Corley pitched through the bottom of the second, collecting his third strikeout of the game in the process. Garrett Wiethorn got his first hit of the series with a double at the top of the third, but two straight outs left him stranded.
 
Southern Miss tied the game with a fielder's choice, allowing the runner from third to score, making it a 1-1 game. The home team struck again in the next inning with a two-out RBI-double into right field as the Golden Eagles possessed a 2-1 advantage after four.
 
The Warhawks were shut down offensively through seven innings as USM starter Camden Clark struck out 15 total batters. The Golden Eagles added on to their lead at the bottom of the seventh with a fielding error, allowing the run to score from third, making it a 3-1 game.
 
Dean hit a two-out single into center field, but that was all for ULM at the top of the eighth. The Warhawks kept the home team at bay in the bottom of the eighth and put one on in the ninth, but a final strikeout ended the game and secured the series loss for ULM.
 
Game three of the weekend series is scheduled for 3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon in Hattiesburg.