BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Brianna Love tied ULM's single-season
home run record with her 14th bomb this season as the softball team
gave up an early two-run lead and fell 7-6 to allow Western Kentucky to earn a Sun
Belt Conference sweep Saturday afternoon at the WKU Softball Complex.
Love's home run came in almost the exact same situation in
which she hit her 42nd career home run last night to snap ULM's
all-time home run record, down to the location deep over the left-center field
wall with two outs. The Garland, Texas, native is now one home run shy of
breaking Lori Tande Bruscato's single-season home run record. Love's single run also gives her 159 runs for her career and breaks the runs scored record at ULM previously held by Tande Bruscato at 158.
Love and Janel Salanoa each had two hits as they went
2-for-3 and 2-for-4, respectively, while each collected one run and one RBI.
Four other Warhawks also scored a run while Katie Girardi and Samantha Riojas
each drove in a run.
Heather Fritz (1-2) picked up the loss in the circle after
giving up ULM's lead with three runs on three hits in less than one out.
Stephanie Routzon started in the circle for 1.1 innings and allowed three
earned runs on four hits while Jessica Chastka threw the final 4.2 innings for
one run on six hits with two strikeouts.
The Lady Toppers' Ciara Garcia had a solo-shot homer in the
bottom of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead before the Warhawks took it
back immediately with three runs in the second inning. Salanoa doubled to reach
and scored on a fielder's choice before a wild pitch allowed Cassel to score
followed by Lacey Willis.
ULM (25-22, 10-11 SBC) couldn't hold on as Western Kentucky put
two runners on base to lead off the bottom of the inning and scored five runs
in four-straight at bats. Kelsie Mattox nailed a two-RBI triple to the right field
corner to tie the game before an error allowed another run to score. Garcia's
hot bat persisted with the second RBI triple of the inning as a final single
ended the spree with the Lady Toppers leading 6-3.
The Warhawks loaded the bases in third inning on an error,
walk and single with no outs to give them a chance to tie the game, but Olguin
was the only runner to make it home with a Salanoa single as the Western
Kentucky defense held strong.
Western Kentucky (26-22, 7-11 SBC) added an insurance run in
the sixth inning after it loaded the bases and Katrina Metoyer singled to
center field to plate Olivia Watkins.
Samantha Riojas singled in the sixth inning to make the
score 7-5 and plate Charlotte Pastor after she pinch ran for Cassel who walked
to reach. Love's homer in the seventh inched the Warhawks withing one run 7-6,
but Salanoa flied out to end the game.
Dew led the Lady Toppers with a 3-for-4 performance at bat
while Garcia had two extra base hits including a home run and a triple in four
at bats for two runs and two RBIs.
Brittanie Albright (3-1) earned her second-straight win in
2.0 innings of action in which she allowed three earned runs on four hits with
three strikeouts. Mallorie Sulaski picked up the save with two runs on two hits
in 5.0 innings after entering the game with the bases loaded in the third
inning.
The Warhawks continue action on the road this week when they
travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for a doubleheader against Arkansas beginning at
2 p.m. at Bogle Park.
