MONROE, La. (Interstat) — The Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks erupted for six runs in the third inning and never looked back, routing the Troy Trojans 12-2 on Friday afternoon at Warhawk Field.

The win evened the Sun Belt series at one game apiece and lifted the Warhawks to 27-27 overall, 27-27 in the Sun Belt. Troy dropped to 28-27 and 28-27.

The game turned decisively in the bottom of the third. Trailing 2-0 after Troy scored on an infield single in the top of the first, Louisiana-Monroe had tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the first on a double by Kade Dupont and an RBI single by Colby Haggard. The Warhawks then broke the game open against Troy starter Brady Egan and reliever Cooper Ellingworth.

Haggard and Victor Aranda drew walks to open the third. Dupont followed with an RBI single through the left side to bring home Haggard and put Louisiana-Monroe ahead 3-2. After a lineout, Bryce Blaser walked, and Jake Griffith walked with the bases loaded to force in a run. Ellingworth then replaced Egan, but Davis Mauzy greeted him with a two-run infield single, scoring Dupont and Blaser. Blaser then stole second, and Bryce Blaser doubled to right center, driving in Griffith and Mauzy to make the score 8-2. The Warhawks added two more in the fourth on a two-run double by Griffith and two more in the fifth on an RBI double by Dupont and an RBI single by Micah Dean.

Troy’s only other run came in the sixth when Drew Nelson hit a solo home run, his fourth of the season. The Trojans finished with six hits, but starter JC Dermody kept them in check. Dermody worked seven innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out six.

Dupont led the Warhawks’ offensive barrage, going 3 for 4 with three RBIs. Blaser was 3 for 5 with two RBIs. Griffith drove in three runs on a pinch-hit double and a bases-loaded walk. Dean added two hits and an RBI. For Troy, Nelson went 2 for 3 with the home run.

Louisiana-Monroe’s pitching also benefited from a strong relief outing from Nate Criswell, who pitched a perfect sixth inning. Troy’s Brady Richardson took the loss after allowing two runs in one inning of work.

The Warhawks outhit the Trojans 13-6.

The most critical stretch came in the third, when Louisiana-Monroe sent 10 batters to the plate. The inning featured three walks, two doubles, two singles and a hit batter, turning a tie game into a six-run cushion that Troy could not overcome.

Troy had taken a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Piasecki’s infield single drove in two runs. But the Warhawks answered in the bottom half on Haggard’s RBI single and Dupont’s RBI double. Troy threatened in the second but Dermody induced a double play to limit the damage.

The series concludes Saturday with the rubber game. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Troy 6, Louisiana-Monroe 4, and Interstat’s ELO system gave Troy a 69.70 percent probability to win.