Beech’s blast, five-run ninth sends Warhawks past Cajuns, 7-5

LAFAYETTE, La. – Down to its final three outs, the ULM baseball team rallied, scoring five runs in the top of the ninth inning to overcome a three-run deficit, as the Warhawks held off the Ragin’ Cajuns in the bottom of the ninth, 7-5, Friday night at M.L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park.

It marked the 100th career victory for ULM head coach Michael Federico.

It is the first win for ULM (12-20-1 overall, 5-8-1 Sun Belt Conference) this season when trailing after the sixth inning.

The Cajuns (19-15, 8-6) led 5-2 entering the top of the ninth inning. Pinch-hitter Travis Washburn opened the inning with a walk and advanced to second when Cole Stromboe was hit by a pitch. After Mason Holt grounded into a fielder’s choice, a balk allowed Washburn to score and moved Holt to second, cutting the gap to 5-3.

Ryan Cupit followed with an RBI single to center, plating Holt and bringing the deficit to one, 5-4, with one out.

After Grant Schulz reached base on a fielder’s choice, Austin Beech launched a 2-run home run to right, giving ULM its first lead since the first inning, 6-5.

The Warhawks added an insurance run as Colby Deaville walked and scored on Michelle Artzberger’s second double of the night, this time with an RBI to left, to push the lead to 7-5.

Carson Orton came out of the bullpen and worked around a two-out single to record his fourth save. The inning included a highlight-reel defensive play by second baseman Carson Jones, who made a sliding, back-handed stop heading away from first base, jumped to his feet and fired to first. First baseman Michelle Artzberger kept his foot on the bag and stretched out down the first base line on the back side of the base, eventually falling to the ground, but made the pick and recorded the out.

For the second consecutive game, ULM scored in the top of the first. Cajun starting pitcher Jacob Schultz issued two walks and hit a batter to load the bases. Cupit scored on a wild pitch to put ULM up, 1-0.

The Cajuns answered quickly in the bottom of the first as Tyler Robertson hit an RBI double, Carson Roccaforte reached on an error with an RBI and Heath Hood grounded into a fielder’s choice with an RBI for the 3-1 advantage.

ULM starter Cole Cressend settled in after the first, shutting down the Cajuns until the fifth inning, when RBI singles by Robertson and Jonathan Brandon extended the lead to 5-1.

The Warhawks answered back in the top of the sixth as Michael Cervantes hit a two-out RBI double to the right field corner to score Beech to cut the gap to 5-2.

Cressend worked through six innings in the start, allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Jackie Robinson worked a scoreless 1 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, while Nicholas Judice (1-0) threw four pitches for the final two outs of the eighth inning and earned his first win of the season.

Cooper Rawls (2-1) suffered the loss for the Cajuns, allowing four runs on two hits with one walk in 2/3 of an inning. Schultz threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

Beech, Cupit and Artzberger had two hits each for ULM. Max Marusak led the Cajuns with three hits while Robertson had two RBIs.

The series finale is at 4 p.m. Saturday.