ULM rallies past Southern Miss, 5-1

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – ULM scored five runs across the seventh, eighth and ninth innings while the Warhawk pitching staff allowed just one run while scattering 10 hits as ULM salvaged the series finale at Southern Miss Sunday, 5-1, at Pete Taylor Park.

The win was ULM’s first over Southern Miss since 2013 and snapped a nine-game winning streak in the series by the Golden Eagles.

The two pitching staffs engaged in a duel for much of the day. Daniel Gonzalez set the tone for ULM (18-21 overall, 6-12 Sun Belt Conference), throwing a career-best four shutout innings, allowing just two hits with one strikeout. Meanwhile Niko Mazza (6-3), who took the loss for USM (25-15, 12-6), allowed two unearned runs on two hits with two strikeouts, one hit batter and eight strikeouts.

Gonzalez worked perfect innings in the first, second and fourth innings and was helped out by his defense in the third inning. USM had runners on first and second with one out when Ozzie Pratt lined out to shortstop Colby Lunsford, who flipped the ball to second baseman Kade Dupont to double off Tanner Stockman to end the inning.

ULM turned to the bullpen in the fifth inning, and Southern Miss greeted Parker Seay (3-1) with back-to-back doubles by Carson Paetow and Billy Butler to take a 1-0 lead. However, Seay forced back-to-back groundouts and a lineout to get out of the jam.

Southern Miss threatened to expand the lead in the sixth thanks to a one-out error and a single by Slade Wilks on a ball that was lost in the sun in left field by three ULM defenders. However, Seay struck out Davis Gillespie and got Paetow to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Seay earned the win in relief, allowing one run on three hits with one strikeout.

The Warhawks claimed the lead in the top of the seventh inning thanks to a timely hit and USM mistakes. Mazza walked Shawn Dalton Weatherbee and hit Easton Winfield in the back of the helmet with a pitch with one out to put two runners on base before exiting the game. Winfield left the game temporarily due to concussion protocol but was cleared to return in the eighth inning.

After a pitching change, Colby Lunsford hit a ball off the pitcher Kros Sivley, who recovered the ball between the pitcher’s mound and first base and tried to flip the ball directly from his glove to the first baseman. However, the flip sailed high and went into foul territory, allowing Weatherbee to race home to tie the game at 1 and put pinch runner Cardell Thibodeaux on third and Lunsford on second with one out. Jake Haggard followed with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate Thibodeaux and Matt Abshire hit an RBI double to center to bring in Lunsford for the 3-1 lead.

Aidan Haynes entered the game in the bottom of the seventh and worked around two hits with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to keep the 3-1 lead.

ULM added to the lead in the eighth inning. Weatherbee hit a one-out RBI double to left, bringing home Jayson Zmejkoski for the 4-1 lead. The Warhawks loaded the bases with one out as Winfield was intentionally walked. Carson Jones, who entered the game defensively for Lunsford in the bottom of the seventh inning, hit a fly ball to right field, which was caught by Wilks. Artzberger tried to score on the play, but Wilks threw him out at the plate to prevent the sacrifice fly and end the inning with ULM in front, 4-1.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Haynes retired the first two batters before an infield single and a double placed runners on second and third base. Carson Orton entered the game, getting Butler to hit a ball to left which was caught on a dive by Winfield to end the inning.

In the ninth, ULM added one more run as Blaser hit an RBI single to left to bring in pinch runner Hasani Johnson for the 5-1 lead.

Orton allowed a one-out hit to Stockman in the bottom of the ninth, but then got Gabe Broadus to hit into the game-ending double play.

Orton set the school record with his 84th all-time pitching appearance in Sunday’s game. He earned his second save of the season and 20th of his career, moving him into a tie with Mark Wisniewski for the second-most saves in ULM history. Orton threw 1 1/3 innings of shutout baseball, allowing one hit with one strikeout.

Haynes threw 1 2/3 shutout innings, allowing four hits with three strikeouts. ULM did not walk or hit a batter in the game.

At the plate, Blaser and Abshire each had two hits and an RBI for ULM. Southern Miss piled up 10 hits, with Paetow, Matthew Russo and Broadus each picking up two hits.

ULM returns to Lou St. Amant Field at 6 p.m. Tuesday to face Little Rock.