MONROE, La. - The bats came alive for the ULM softball team Wednesday
evening in two big five- and four-run innings to claim its second-straight five
inning run-rule win with an 11-2 rout of Stephen F. Austin at the ULM Softball
Complex. The Warhawks are on a four-game winning streak and improve
to 16-13 on the season, 3-3 SBC.
Brianna Love belted her sixth home run of the season and
went 1-for-1 with three runs, two RBI and two walks, one intentional to
headline the Warhawks. Janel Salanoa went a team-best 3-for-3 with one run and
her first triple of the season while four other Warhawks collected two RBI and
three had two runs.
Tiffany Mills (8-8) picked up her second-straight win in the
circle after throwing all five innings with six strikeouts, five hits and two
runs, both earned.
Love led off the first inning to score the first run of the
game before ULM caught fire with five runs in the second inning to build an
early 6-0 lead. The Warhawks strung together three-straight singles before a
double down the left field line by Elise West plated Regina Ayala and Melissa
Rivera. Miyuki Navarrete belted the next single to score West before Love added
two more runs with a home run over the left field wall.
Stephen F. Austin (8-22) put its first run up in the third
inning after Cadie Weaver was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force a
run home. ULM responded immediately in the bottom of the inning with a double
by Ayala to center field to plate Rivera followed by a two-RBI double by Olguin
to put the game in mercy-rule territory. Roxy Cassel scored Love with an RBI
single to give ULM a four-run inning and a 10-1 cushion.
Each team would score once more as ULM's Salanoa tripled to
right center in the fourth inning before a fielding error by the center fielder
allowed her to advance home. Stephen F. Austin made a late charge with a
solo-shot home run by Amber Price to put the game within one run of continuing
to the sixth inning, but Weaver stuck out looking to end the game with the 11-2
victory.
Price had a team-best 3-for-3 performance with one run, one
RBI and the lone Ladyjack home run while Weaver also had an RBI and Lacy Liles
had a run. Angela White dropped to 0-2 on the season after starting in the
circle and pitched 1.1 innings to give up six earned runs on six hits with one
walk and no strikeouts.
ULM continues its homestand this weekend with a three-game Sun
Belt Conference series against Middle Tennessee beginning with a doubleheader
Saturday at 3 p.m. at the ULM Softball Complex.
