ULM Warhawks

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The ULM softball team kicked off No. 7 Tennessee's Classic in style Friday afternoon with a 12-3 five-inning mercy-rule rout of Furman, and the momentum continued into its next game against Tennessee as Brianna Love hit a leadoff home run before the Warhawks eventually fell 3-1 to the Lady Vols.

The bats came alive for ULM as five Warhawks notched at least two hits in their first game against Furman while Love, Roxy Cassel and Janel Salanoa each hit a home run to mark the first game this season three different players had a home run in a single game.

For the day, Melissa Rivera led with a 4-for-6 performance that included a perfect 3-for-3 against Furman with two RBI and a team-high three doubles.  Salanoa, Cassel, Love and Samantha Riojas each also had two RBI while Salanoa had a team-high three runs and Love a team-high two home runs to give her four this season.

Stephanie Routzon (4-2) started in the circle against the Paladins and picked up the win with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched after allowing five hits for three runs. Tiffany Mills (4-5) gained the loss against Tennessee after she threw 6.0 innings and gave up nine hits for three runs with one strikeout.

Game One Recap:
In its first game against Furman, ULM was hot at the plate as it scored 12 runs off 14 hits while Cassel hit her first home run of the season and Love and Salanoa each added another. Six of nine starters registered a hit while five had multiple hits led by Rivera's perfect 3-for-3 performance. Cassel, Salanoa, Rivera and Love each collected two RBI while Salanoa had a team-high three runs.

Routzon pitched 4.0 innings and claimed her fourth win of the season with three strikeouts, five hits and three earned runs.

For the Paladins Stephanie Spain led with a 2-for-2 performance at plate and collected a team-high two RBI. Hannah Pace went 1-for-3 and had one home run, one RBI and one run.  Lauren Collier (1-6) pitched 2.2 innings for one strikeout while allowing nine hits for eight runs, all earned, to pick up the loss. Kayla Suskauer entered for Collier in the third inning and added four runs in five hits for no strikeouts.

ULM opened the game with three runs in the first inning as it put together a pair of singles and used aggressive base running to score Olguin and Cassel. Salanoa added a run off Rivera's RBI double to left center to put the Warhawks up 3-0.

Furman (2-9) made the score 3-1 in the second inning as it got on the board with Spain's RBI triple down the right field line that plated Collier who reached on a walk.  

The game blew wide open in the third inning as the Warhawks ran up the scoreboard with eight runs, Salanoa being the first to score off a sacrifice fly before a Riojas RBI triple to right field plated Elise West and Rivera next. Love began the home run spree with a solo shot to right field followed by Olguin reaching first on a fielding error before Cassel's home run scored them both. Salanoa added another run with her solo home run before the Paladins escaped the inning trailing 11-1.

The Paladins attempted to battle back with two runs in the fourth inning as Pace belted Furman's only home run of the game for a single run. Collier tacked on another run when she singled to reach before Spain's RBI single drove her home.

The Warhawks added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth inning as Riojas nailed a double to right center before Olguin's RBI single pushed her across home plate to give ULM a 12-3 mercy-rule victory.

Game Two Recap:
The Warhawks attempted to keep the momentum rolling in the night cap against host No. 7 Tennessee (16-2), but Love's leadoff home run was just one of two hits allowed in a gem by Ellen Renfroe that eventually saw ULM fall 3-1.

Rivera had the only other hit by a Warhawk while Girardi earned a team-high two walks and 10 put outs. Mills suffered the loss in the circle as she allowed nine hits for three earned runs with one strikeout in 6.0 innings pitched.

Raven Chavanne was perfect at the plate in a 3-for-3 performance and scored all three of the Lady Vols' runs. Lauren Gibson had a team-high two RBI while Kat Dotson added another.

Renfroe (9-1) pitched four innings for Tennessee to earn the win and had only one run scored off of her while striking out three and walking one in 15 batters faced. Ivy Renfroe relieved her to throw the final three innings, giving up zero hits while striking out three and walking one.

After Love homered deep to center field to leadoff the game, the Lady Vols answered with a single run of their own in the first inning. Chavanne and Grieve put together back-to-back singles before Shelby Burchell and Lauren Gibson strung together back-to-back walks to score Chavanne. The Warhawks escaped the inning when Chelsea O'Connor lined into a 1-3 double play, the scored tied 1-1.

Tennessee added its two final runs in the third and fourth innings with Chavanne scoring them both, first off a Gibson RBI single to the shortstop before another RBI single by Dotson eventually sealed the Lady Vols' 3-1 victory.

ULM will conclude play at the Tennessee Classic tomorrow morning, first facing the Dutch National Team in an exhibition game at 8 a.m. followed by a final game against Georgia Southern at 10 a.m.

Tennessee Classic Schedule/Results 

Friday, March 4