20 Mar 2024 Bears blast Warhawks 11-4

MONROE, La. — A pair of home runs from Bryce Cermenelli and A.J. Mendolia carried the University of Central Arkansas Bears to a surprisingly easy 11-4 victory over the ULM Warhawks on Tuesday night at Lou St. Amant Field.

Cermenelli’s first home run as a Bear to lead off the fifth inning gave the Bears a 3-1 lead. Mendolia’s third blast of the season, a two-out, three-run shot in the seventh. put the game out of reach at 7-1. The Bears (9-12) then poured it on with three more two-out runs in the top of the 9th while batting around.

UCA finished with a season-high 15 hits off a combination of nine ULM pitchers. The Bears also drew 10 walks, four by center fielder Drew Sturgeon, and were hit by a pitch three more times. Senior shortstop Mason King went 4 for 6, while Mendolia, Jake Trabbie, Zeb Allen and Kade Seldomridge had two hits each.

UCA used nine pitchers, and they combined for 11 strikeouts, led by four from Mason Griffin and three from Hunter Alexander, who went the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing no hits. Griffin picked up the victory with 1.1 innings of middle relief to improve to 4-2.

The Bears won easily despite stranding 17 runners on base. The Warhawks (12-9) managed just eight hits and committed two errors while leaving eight on base. Only one ULM player had more than one hit. 

The Bears have won two true road games this season and both were against Sun Belt Conference teams. UCA beat Arkansas State 8-4 in 12 innings on Feb. 27 in Jonesboro.

The Bears return to ASUN Conference action this weekend at North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. Game times are 5 p.m. (CST) Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.