NATCHITOCHES, La. ? On a cold and wet evening, the ULM softball team slugged their way to a doubleheader sweep against Northwestern State at Demon Diamond in Natchitoches, La. on Tuesday, winning game one 7-0 and game two 5-1.
“We really needed to play in these types of games to get on the right track for our tournament this weekend,” ULM softball head coach Rosemary Holloway-Hill said. “I thought those days of practicing in bad weather really paid off tonight. Even though it was cold and wet, we battled through it.”
ULM (2-3) picked up complete game performances from starting pitchers sophomore Kandace Causey and senior Lindsey Rittenhouse to ground the Lady Demon offense. NSU (0-2) managed only five total hits against the Warhawks hurlers.
In game one the Warhawks offense got off to a quick start, pushing across their first run of the season in the opening frame. Freshman Jessica Olguin walked to lead off the game, advanced to second on a bunt, to third on a groundout and came home on an RBI single from freshman Brianna Love.
Causey (1-1) fanned the side swinging in the bottom of the first inning and ULM never looked back. The Denham Springs, La. native finished with 11 strikeouts in the game while allowing only four hits.
Sophomore Michelle Farrell-Fink drove in a pair on a two-RBI single in the third inning to give the Warhawks a 3-0 lead. Two innings later Love connected on the Warhawks first homerun of the season, a two-RBI shot, to extend the lead to 5-0. ULM would add a pair of unearned runs in the sixth inning for the final score.
Love finished the opening game a triple shy of hitting for the cycle and six different Warhawks picked up a hit.
ULM continued its slugging ways in the opening inning of the second game, scoring a pair of unearned runs to grab a 2-0 lead before the Lady Demons even came to bat. NSU would score its only run of the day in the bottom half of the frame.
Rittenhouse would pick up 13 strikeouts in the second game while allowing only one hit.
NSU would keep the second game close until the sixth inning when freshman Taylor Renshaw hit a single to centerfield that allowed two runs to cross the plate. ULM would add a fifth run in the seventh inning for the 5-1 final.
“We came up here with the intention of playing everybody,” Holloway-Hill said. “We have a lot of young talent and they showed tonight that they aren't afraid to compete. With as many options as we have it provides a lot of flexibility to go with who is swinging the hot stick.”
After playing five straight on the road, the Warhawks open the home portion of the schedule on Friday when they host Arkansas-Pine Bluff on the opening day of the annual Mardi Gras Classic at the ULM Softball Complex at 3 p.m.
