MOBILE, Ala. ? Sophomore Michelle Farrell-Fink picked up a game-high three RBI, but the ULM softball team fell just short in a 4-3 back-and-forth game against South Alabama in the series opener in Mobile on Saturday night.
“This was one of those games where it was going to come down to the end,” ULM softball head coach Rosemary Holloway-Hill said. “South Alabama got the last break and was able to get the win in the end. I'm proud of our effort. We left it on the field tonight, but came up just short.”
Down to their last out, South Alabama (18-19, 4-6 Sun Belt) picked up an RBI single from Evelyne Pare to end the game. Senior Courtney Cleveland dove at the sinking line drive in the gap only to see it bounce off the tip of her glove and end the game in the Jaguars favor.
ULM (10-25, 2-8 Sun Belt) opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, picking up a sacrifice fly by Farrell-Fink that plated freshman Brianna Love.
The Jaguars loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half of the frame, but senior Lindsay Rittenhouse fanned the sixth batter to preserve the 1-0 ULM lead.
USA would take the lead one inning later after once again loading the bases with two outs. A walk and a hit batter plated a pair of runs and gave the Jaguars a 2-1 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Farrell-Fink struck again. The Harwood Heights, Ill.-native picked up a two-RBI single with two outs in the inning. Freshmen Elyse Stark and Robin Biddle scored on the play to put the Warhawks up 3-2.
The Jaguars knotted the score at 3-3 in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI single by Pare to set up the final inning. Pare finished the game 5-for-5 from the plate with a pair of RBI.
ULM will wrap up the series with a doubleheader against USA on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m.
