MONROE, La. - Janel Salanoa belted her second
home run of the season, but it was McNeese State who claimed an extra inning
2-1 victory over the ULM softball team on Wednesday evening.
Salanoa took a 1-1 pitch and drove it deep
over the center field wall in the fourth frame. The long ball knotted the
scoreboard at a run apiece, before each respective pitcher took over down the
stretch.
In the extra frame, McNeese State used a
hit-by-pitch and sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third. The
Cowgirls began the frame with a runner at second base due to international tie breaking
rules. Dani Price hit a long fly ball to right field to score Kourtney Kober
for the game winning run.
ULM, who also started with a runner at second
in the extra frame, pushed Roxy Cassel to third off a Jessica Olguin sacrifice
bunt. The Warhawks were unable to tie the game and force another inning after they
hit a ground out and struck out looking.
Tiffany Mills (0-5) struck out a career-high
11 batters and walked one, but was tagged with the complete game loss. She gave
up just two runs on five hits, to go along with one walk.
Cassel led ULM (3-7) with a 2-for-3
performance, while Amanda Sartoris recorded her fourth double of the season and
Olguin recorded two sacrifice hits.
Molly Guidry finished 2-for-3 at the plate,
including a double, for McNeese State (7-6), to go along with a RBI. Kober and
Holly Lawrence each scored for the Cowgirls.
McNeese State tallied a run on the scoreboard
in the second frame to take a 1-0 lead. Lawrence led off the inning with a bunt
single and advanced two bases on a sacrifice bunt and groundout. Guidry took
the first pitch of her at-bat and drove it off the left-center-field wall for a
RBI double.
Meagan Bond (4-2) picked up the win after
striking out seven in a complete game effort for McNeese State.
ULM returns to the road for the Holiday Inn
Emerald Beach Invitational hosted by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Warhawks
opening game of the tournament is a 10 a.m. matchup with Houston Baptist on
Friday. Also in the tournament is North Dakota.
