DENTON, Texas - The ULM softball team outlasted North Texas in
a marathon 10 innings with a five-run scoring spree to take game one of the Sun
Belt Conference doubleheader 7-2 Saturday afternoon at Lovelace Stadium. ULM (24-17,
10-6 SBC) is on a four-game winning streak including three-straight in Sun Belt
play after winning its longest game of the season.
After four-straight scoreless innings pushed the game into
the 10th inning both teams placed a runner at second as part of the
international tie breaker rule. ULM capitalized with Charlotte Pastor as Miyuki
Navarrete and Brianna Love reached to load the bases before Jessica Olguin nailed
a two-RBI single to right center and broke the tie 4-2 in favor of ULM.
The spree continued as an error allowed Roxy Cassel to get
on base and Love to score followed by Janel Salanoa roping a single to left
field to plate Olguin. A fielder's choice on a bunt by Katie Girardi gave the
Warhawks a 7-2 cushion, and North Texas could not respond to give ULM the
victory.
Tiffany Mills (12-11) came out victorious in a pitcher's
duel that saw her defeat her career-high in innings pitched by two with her
seventh complete game and second-straight of the season. She allowed just seven
hits and two runs, neither earned with five strikeouts and two walks in 42
batters faced.
Navarrete scored two runs in just two hits as the only
Warhawk with multiple hits for the game and two stolen bases. Love also scored
two runs in a 1-for-4 performance with one intentional walk while Olguin and
Cassel each had two RBI.
North Texas (17-24, 3-13 SBC) snuck two runs past ULM in the
second and third innings, both with two outs to take an early lead 2-0. Lisa
Johnson made it home first on a Warhawk fielding error before an illegal pitch
was ruled that allowed Hayley Siebman to add a run from third base.
Two innings later Navarrete and Love led off with a bunt and
single to reach and Navarrete stole third to put two on the corners and a
runner in scoring position. An over throw by the catcher to third trying to
catch Navarrete off the bag allowed her to put ULM on the board and Love to
advance to third followed by a squeeze play by Cassel to plate the tying run
and make the score 2-2.
Just three more hits and no runs from that point resulted in
extra innings with both starting pitchers going the distance until the last two
outs of the game and gave up just one additional hit from that point until ULM's
spree in the 10th inning.
Siebman and Johnson were the only Mean Green to cross home
plate while Mary Cantler reached base the most times after going 3-for-5 and
Brooke Foster had the lone RBI. Brittany Simmons (9-11) threw 9.1 innings and
allowed seven runs on seven hits with just two earned while Ashley Kirk stopped
the bleeding with two strikeouts in the 10th inning.
ULM and North Texas continue with the second game of the
doubleheader this afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 5:10 p.m. A live video broadcast of the game is available at meangreensports.com with live statistics also available at ulmwarhawks.com.
