Baseball Falls to ULM, 13-7

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Travis Drader hit a pair of home runs and Louisiana-Monroe had four homers in all in a 13-7 victory over Middle Tennessee Friday night at Reese Smith Field.

Drader had a solo homer in the fourth inning and a two-run shot in the fifth, while Ty Rollinson hit a solo shot and Kyle Suire added a two-run homer for the visiting Warhawks, who kept their lead in the Sun Belt with the triumph. ULM collected 16 hits in all, including four hits from A.J. Siggers.

The Warhawks (19-8, 9-1 Sun Belt) scored a pair of runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take a 6-1 lead, only to see the Blue Raiders plate three runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 6-4. But ULM responded with five runs in the sixth inning on five hits and three Middle Tennessee (13-16, 6-4) walks, putting the game out of reach.

Matt Ray and Wayne Kendrick both recorded three hits for the Blue Raiders in a 17-hit attack. Adam Warren had two hits, including a homer, and three RBIs.

Blue Raider starter Matt Scott (2-3) took the loss, allowing six runs on nine hits in five innings of work. Scott gave up a career-high three home runs as well, walking one and striking out three.

Reliever Chad Coley worked a career-long 3.1 innings, giving up two runs on two hits with five strikeouts.

ULM starter Bucky Chandler has his shortest outing of the year, lasting just 4.2 innings. Chandler allowed eight hits and four runs, both season-highs, striking out one.

Reliever A.J. Ford (4-3) went the rest of the way to get the victory, though he gave up nine hits but just two earned runs with six strikeouts.

Middle Tennessee scored first in the contest, a solo homer down the leftfield line from Warren in the bottom of the first, his third of the season.

The Warhawks scored twice in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take a commanding lead.

In the third Dexter Fontenot singled and Kyle Suire walked before Siggers doubled off the wall in leftcenter, plating both runners. Drader and Rollinson hit back-to-back solo homers in the fourth. Josh Morrison singled with two outs in the fifth and Drader followed with his second round-tripper of the game, a two-run shot, giving ULM a 6-1 lead.

But the Blue Raiders got back in the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, starting with a leadoff single from Zach Barrett. Justin Humphrey then chopped a single to left, putting runners on the corners, before an RBI single to center from Ray. Warren's groundout plated Humphrey and Kendrick's sharp single up the middle nearly took Chandler's head off and scored Ray, cutting the Warhawks advantage to 6-4.

But ULM came back with five runs of its own in the sixth on five hits. Andy Jones singled to leadoff and Bo Bowman walked before Fontenot's sacrifice attempt turned into a hit, loading the bases. A sacrifice fly from Suire plated Jones and Siggers scored Bowman with a single to center.

Morrison's single plated Fontenot and Matt Laird followed with a swinging bunt single, loading the bases. Ben Soignier and Jones both walked, forcing in runs, giving the Warhawks an 11-4 advantage.

Middle Tennessee scored a run in the seventh on an infield hit from Blake McDade and Warren's chopper to center in the eighth plated Humphrey.

But once again the Warhawks struck back, this time with Suire's two-run homer in the ninth.

Rawley Bishop walked to leadoff the ninth for the Blue Raiders and scored on Zach Hudson's double to right, the final run of the contest.

The two teams play again Saturday at 4 p.m., with the Blue Raiders sending Brad Robinson (2-0, 2.53) to the mound.

GAME NOTES
Senior Matt Campbell started in leftfield, his first-ever start in leftfield and the ninth different Blue Raider to start in leftfield this season ... Wayne Kendrick extended his hitting streak to seven games with a single in the first ... Rawley Bishop extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a double in the fifth, tying Todd Martin's stretch for the longest by a Blue Raider since 1999.

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