Kyle Smith threw seven strong innings and ULM posted double-digit runs for the fourth consecutive game defeating Centenary
11-2 Tuesday night at Warhawk Field in non-conference action.
Smith (1-1) allowed just two runs and struck out five in his second straight quality start. The senior right-hander allowed two unearned runs last week in 7.2 innings against Dallas Baptist.
Warhawks (23-12, 14-4 Sun Belt) continued to pound the ball out of the park with home runs from Casey Auttonberry, Ben Soignier and Louie Lancaster.
Auttonberry gave ULM a 4-1 lead in bottom of the third with a three-run shot the first of his career and Soignier hit a solo shot in the sixth moving him into a tie for 10th all-time on the ULM career list with 19. Lancaster pushed the lead out to 10-2 with a two-run pinch-hit homer down the line in left field in the bottom of the eighth for his second home run of the season.
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Above, Louie Lancaster and Casey Auttonberry
ULM has hit 52 home runs on the season and is on pace to break last years record of 70 with 86 based on a 56 game regular season and at least two games in the Sun Belt Tournament. The Warhawks finished the game with 14 hits and are averaging 12.5 runs and 14.8 hits over the past four games.
Both teams pushed runs across in the second inning with the Gents
(18-14) scoring on a Steele Lewis single and the Warhawks tying the game on a Matt Collins double to left field.
Collins finished 3-for-4 to lead the Warhawks from the plate while Soignier, Auttonberry and Suire each had two hits as ULM pounded out
14 hits. Auttonberry added his fourth RBI of the night with a double to left center in the bottom of the eight.
A.J. Siggers led off the fourth with a single through the right side of the infield and Collins singled to right field setting up Auttonberry. The sophomore catcher, who was making just the third start of his career, took a 2-1 fastball off Centenary starter Jeremy Sheehan deep over the wall in left field.
The Warhawks kept the pressure on with singles by Nick Wade and Soignier. Suire then hit a high pop-up in the infield that Gent shortstop Ricky Imperiali lost in the lights and fell for a double scoring both runners.
Following Soigniers ninth home run of the season in the sixth, Centenary pulled within 7-2 on a sacrifice fly by Tim Deering.
Laird put ULM back up by six, 8-2, with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning scoring Collins, who led off the inning drawing a walk.
Sheehan (3-3) allowed six runs on eight hits in just four innings of work taking the loss for the Gents.
Danial McHenry threw the final two innings of the game for the Warhawks striking out four of the seven batters he faced.
The Warhawks host McNeese State tomorrow night at Warhawk Field beginning at 6:30 p.m. ULM faculty and staff will be admitted free to the game with their ULM ID and there will be student crawfish boil behind the wall in left field.