Warhawk pitcher Randy Zeigler had a dominating performance on the mound to guide ULM to a 6-1 win over the Nicholls State Colonels in Friday night’s series opener.
The Warhawks (7-3) got on the board early in the first inning.  Les Aulds singled. He then proceeded to steal second base and advanced to third on a throwing error.  It was his seventh stolen base this season which leads the conference.  Aulds would eventually score on a wild pitch.  ULM went on to add another run in the inning, and added some more insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
The team did not need much offense though, because Randy Zeigler (2-1) was throwing heat on the mound all night, matching his career high with ten strikeouts.  His ten strikeouts put him in sole possession of first place in the conference with 25.
“I just threw the fastball pretty much tonight a lot until the end of the game,” said Zeigler.  “I just wish I could have gotten the shutout.”
In the top of the ninth, Nicholls State (4-6) finally got on the scoreboard on a sacrifice fly by Michael LeGrange, thus ending Zeigler’s quest for the shutout.  At that point, it seemed like his night was over and a new pitcher would be brought in. The home crowd, however, pleaded to keep Randy in the game after the run was scored, but the final decision was up to the coach.
“I was going out to pull him,” said coach Schexnaider.  “We wanted to see if he could get the shutout, and once they scored, we had intentions to take him out, but I told him I’d give him one more batter to get the complete game.”
Zeigler did not disappoint, as he got Colonels first baseman Beau Faulk to fly out to end the game and thus earning Zeigler the first complete game by a Warhawk pitcher this season.  ULM will play game two against Nicholls State tonight at 6:00 P.M.