BOWLING GREEN —
The Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks punched their tickets to the NCAA Baseball Regional Championships with a 4-2 victory over Arkansas State in the championship game of the 2012 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship.
ULM's Wil Browning, a former Kosciusko Whippet and Holmes CC Bulldog, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after holding the Red Wolves to just one hit and no hits in two innings pitched in the finale at Bowling Green Ballpark.
Browning, a senior came on in relief of ULM's Kendall Thamm who earned the victory. Browning pitched 10 innings in three appearances during the week earning two wins and a save, his sixth of the season.
The victory by the Warhawks was the program's first-ever SBC tournament title. The Warhawks last clinched a bid to the NCAA Regional round in 2000. Additionally, ULM's Caleb Clowers and Judd Edwards were named to the All-Tournament team as was ASU's Michael Faulkner, Claude Johnson and Jacob Lee.
ULM's Dustin Jones singled through the left side off Randy Zeigler in the bottom of the seventh inning and then moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Zach Maggio. A wild pitch from reliever Thamm (6-3) moved Jones to third base with only one out.
A Zach George sacrifice fly scored Jones and put Arkansas State (34-23) in front 2-1. The Warhawks (31-28) did not take long to answer, as Joey Rapp stung a leadoff double to the gap in right center off Brandon Farley (2-4) in the top of the eighth inning.
A Brandon Alexander RBI double to right field scored Rapp from second and tied the game at 2-2. Edwards reached base on a fielder's choice, and Taylor Abdalla successfully sacrificed both runners into scoring position.
Farley intentionally walked Corben Green to load the bases with only one out. Justin Stawychny delivered against reliever Bradley Wallace, lacing a single up the middle to score Alexander and give ULM a 3-2 lead.
Wallace then hit Les Aulds to up the Warhawk lead to 4-2. Daniel Short forced Clowers to ground out to shortstop to end the ULM surge. Ryan Emery sliced a pinch-hit single to left field off Browning in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the runners moved over on a groundout by Ryan Roberts.
Jones popped up to Clowers at second base and Maggio grounded out to Rapp at first base to get Browning out of the bind. Michael Faulkner worked a full-count walk in the bottom of the ninth inning before stealing second base to move into scoring position.
Browing forced George to fly out to center field and Johnson to ground out to second base for frame's first two outs. Logan Uxa popped out to Jeremy Sy at shortstop to end the game. Les Aulds got ULM off to a flying start, depositing a 1-2 pitch from Arkansas State starter Jacob Lee over the right field wall for a leadoff home run that gave the Warhawks a 1-0 lead.
Sy worked a four-pitch walk, and then advanced to second base on a Lee wild pitch and third on a deep fly out off the bat of Rapp. Lee struck out Alexander swinging to end the inning and strand Sy at third base.
The Warhawks will play in the Baton Rouge regional and will take on LSU at 7p.m. Friday night. Browning, a recent ULM summa cum laude graduate, is the son of Charlie and Leslie Browning of Kosciusko.
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Related Photos
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ULM Warhawk Wil Browning fires one to the plate in recent action. Browning pitched 10 innings in the SunBelt Conference Tournament and was named tournament MVP. The Warhawks won the tourney and will play LSU as the #4 seed in the Baton Rouge Regional. Leslie Browning/Special to The Star Herald
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Former KHS Whippet and current ULM Warhawk Wil Browning displays his SunBelt Tournament MVP award while being surrounded by his parents Charlie and Leslie Browning last Saturday. The Warhawks won the SunBelt Conference Tournament and will play LSU on Friday in the Baton Rouge Regional. Courtesy Photo
ULM wins SunBelt Tourney, Wil Browning named MVP
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