ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. ? Fans lined the outfield walls and packed the stands inside the ULM Softball Complex only to see a pair of big innings by the 15h-ranked LSU Tigers down the home standing Warhawks, 11-0 in a five-inning game on Wednesday night.

A facility-record 608 fans came out to watch the Warhawks softball team host their in-state foe LSU for the first time in program history. The announced attendance was nearly double the previous record of 319 set during the 2000 season in a conference game against Texas-Arlington.

“Tonight was a great venue for college softball,” ULM softball head coach Rosemary Holloway-Hill said. “LSU might be used to that, but it was great for us to have this here. It was a great atmosphere and I know that the fans had a good time. Our team would love to play in front of that type of crowd every time.”

LSU (35-14) took an early lead after Rachel Mitchell hit a solo homer to right centerfield off ULM starter Heather Fritz (3-4). The Tigers added another hit in the inning, before the lefty got out of the inning.

Freshman Brianna Love led off the Warhawks half of the frame with a walk after falling behind 0-2, but was stranded on first after Tiger starter Casey Faile (3-1) retired the next three.

In the second, Fritz appeared to settle into a groove after striking out the first two batters to come to the plate, but the Salina, Kan.-native couldn't get the third out. The Tigers picked up five consecutive hits with two outs to plate four runs and move ahead by a 5-0 score. All seven of the Tigers hits against the ULM starter came with two outs on the board.

“I thought that Fritz did a good job,” Holloway-Hill said. “She gave up the home run in the first, but that type of thing is going to happen. LSU just dropped a hit in with two strikes and two outs in the second inning and just poured it on from there. We just couldn't get out of the inning.”

LSU added an unearned run in the third off senior reliever Lindsay Rittenhouse to make it a 6-0 game. Quinlan Duhon singled to open the frame before advancing to second on a groundout by Killian Roessner. Duhon rounded third for a collision at home plate with junior catcher Megan Miller, but a perfect throw by Love cut her down in the process. Erika Sluss had singled on the play and came home one batter later on a throwing error by the ULM shortstop.

ULM (17-31) registered its first and only hit of the game to lead off the third inning. Senior Calli Baker lined a Faile offering to left field. Freshman pinch runner Elyse Stark stole second before three straight outs stranded her in scoring position.

After being retired 1-2-3 in the fourth inning, the Tigers put seven straight on base with one out in the fifth including three via the hit batter. LSU ended the inning with five runners crossing the plate to push the advantage to double digits and invoke the eight-run rule.

The Warhawks were retired in order in the fifth to end the game.