ULM Warhawks

Troy and ULM traded runs in the fourth inning, before the Trojans tacked on two runs in the fifth inning. The Warhawks scored a run in the sixth frame for the final score. On three different occasions the Warhawks had a runner in scoring position with less than two outs and failed to score.

The Warhawks will now face No. 8 Middle Tennessee in an elimination game (consolation portion of the bracket) at 10 a.m. on Friday. The Sun Belt Conference will use a new bracket format this season which emulates the Women's College World Series bracket. The loser of games seven and eight will switch sides of the bracket to play through the loser's bracket. The Sun Belt Tournament differs from the Women's College World Series bracket in that the Sun Belt Conference Championship game is single elimination whereas the Women's College World Series Championship round is the best two-out-of-three.

Ashlyn Williams (20-21) led Troy in the circle with nine strikeouts on 133 pitches. She went six innings, allowed two earned runs on six hits, while walking just two.

ULM (23-25) was led by four different batters who recorded two hits in the contest. Melissa Rivera and Amanda Sartoris each scored a run and hit a double for the Warhawks. Sartoris stole her eighth base of the season and Katie Girardi was hit by a pitch for the third time this year.

Troy (26-28) was led by Paige's two hit performance that included a grand slam. Kala Moore also tallied two base hits, to go along with her 32nd stolen base of the season. The Trojans also recorded three sacrifice hits in the game.

Troy took a 4-0 advantage off a two-out grand slam by Paige in the top of the third inning. ULM's Sartoris made a great effort at the fence, as the ball landed in her glove but popped out and over the wall. After a groundout and a pop out, Sarah Shields was hit-by-a-pitch. Nikki Hollett followed with a base on balls, before Hayden Gann lined a single to left field, which loaded the bases. Paige hit the second pitch of her at-bat over the fence for her first grand slam of the season and fifth home run of the year.

The Trojans tacked on another two-out run in the fourth inning to extend their lead to 5-0. Following a strikeout and a groundout, Marcy Sartain drew a walk. Moore then hit an infield single prior to Shields' RBI single up the middle.

ULM responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth frame to cut its deficit to 5-1. Michelle Farrell-Fink hit a two-out infield single to score Rivera, who reached on a single that bounced off the right-field line.

Troy tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning to push its lead 7-1. Gann led off the inning with a walk, before Paige lined a single up the middle. Sally Ward sacrificed herself with a bunt to move the baserunners to second and third. Sarah Harris then hit a sacrifice bunt to score Gann from third. Courtney Cherry pushed the second run of the inning across the plate on a pinch-hit infield single.

The Warhawks scored its second run of the game off Sarah Carriger's infield single. Sartoris led off the frame with a double to the left-center field wall. ULM struck out twice, before Deianna Russell walked and Brianna Love hit an infield single to load the bases.

Kandace Causey (9-10) was tagged with the loss after throwing just 3.2 innings in the circle. She struck out three and walked three, but allowed five earned runs on four hits.

Tiffany Mills also pitched for the Warhawks, as she tossed 3.1 innings in relief. She struck out two, walked one, allowed two runs and scattered four hits.

The Warhawks again struggled to score runs for the second straight day, as they left 11 runners on base. ULM has now left 19 runners on base - 11 in scoring position - for the two games played in the tournament.

Fans can either follow the action with live video streaming at www.sunbeltsports.org or with live statistics at ulmwarhawks.com.