Warhawks roll past No. 19 Chanticleers, 11-3

MONROE, La. – Cam Barlow allowed one run over five innings and Shawn Dalton Weatherbee set career highs with four hits and five RBIs as ULM cruised to an 11-3 win over No. 19 Coastal Carolina in the first game of the series Thursday night at Lou St. Amant Field.

Barlow’s (1-1) start was the longest this season by a Warhawk in the new pod system. He threw five innings, allowing just one run on five hits with one walk and a season-high seven strikeouts. He became the 10th pitcher in program history to record 200 career strikeouts when he got Zack Beach to strike out swinging in the second inning.

Meanwhile, Weatherbee was four-of-five at the plate to lead the offense and knocked in five runs. He had an RBI single in the five-run third inning, a 2-RBI double in the three-run fourth inning and a 2-RBI single in the seventh inning while adding an infield single in the sixth inning.

The game was scoreless until ULM’s five-run third inning. Kade Dupont was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Colby Lunsford hit a one-out single to put runners on first and third base. Weatherbee followed with his RBI single to right to put the Warhawks on top, 1-0. After Weatherbee stole second, Bryce Blaser walked to load the bases, leading the Jake Haggard’s two-RBI double down the right-field line to plate Lunsford and Weatherbee for the 3-0 advantage. Cardell Thibodeaux brought in Blaser on a sacrifice fly, and Matt Abshire capped the inning with an RBI single through the middle to bring in Haggard for the 5-0 lead.

Dupont started the fourth inning with an infield single and moved to second on a balk. Lunsford lined a hit off CCU starting pitcher Alexander Meckley to put runners on the corners with one out. Weatherbee came through with a 2-RBI double to right center to push the lead to 7-0. After Blaser added a hit, Haggard hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Weatherbee to build the lead to 8-0.

CCU added a run in the fifth inning on Derek Bender’s RBI single and another in the sixth on Jake Books’ RBI double to cut the gap to 8-2.

ULM sealed the win with the three-run seventh inning. Lunsford picked up a bases-loaded walk to force in Hasani Johnson before Weatherbee’s 2-RBI single to left made it an 11-2 lead.

CCU added a final run in the ninth on Blake Barthol’s RBI single.

In addition to Weatherbee, Lunsford had three hits and an RBI for ULM, while Blaser and Dupont had two hits each. Haggard drove in three runs. Eleven different Chanticleers combined for 12 hits, with Dean Mihos being the only Chant with two hits.

Meckley (3-1) suffered the loss for CCU, allowing eight runs on nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts in four innings. Behind Barlow, Brandon Brewer threw one inning, allowing one run with two hits and one walk while Joey Cirelli earned his first save by firing three innings, allowing one run on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

The series continues at 6 p.m. Friday at Lou St. Amant Field.