MONROE, La. - Only two Warhawks managed a hit in their last game
of the regular season against in-state rival No. 24 UL-Lafayette Sunday afternoon
as the ULM softball team fell 5-0 in the Sun Belt Conference series finale at the
ULM Softball Complex.
The final contest of the season at home also marked Senior
Day for ULM's five seniors as Sarah Carriger, Heather Fritz, Brianna Love,
Jessica Olguin and Melissa Rivera were honored for the last game of their
careers at the ULM Softball Complex.
Just three Warhawks managed to reach base as Elise West led
with a 1-for-2 performance that included one walk. Janel Salanoa went 1-for-3
while Love also walked once.
Tiffany Mills (13-16) picked up the loss in the circle after
throwing the first six innings and issued five earned runs on 10 hits while fanning
five and walking seven. Fritz threw the final frame and allowed just one hit in
four batters faced.
ULM (27-26, 10-14 SBC) escaped multiple jams during the game
as UL-Lafayette (45-9, 19-5 SBC) loaded the bases in three of the first four innings.
Miyuki Navarrete turned a double play in the first inning when Christi Orgeron
grounded into the second base path for an easy tag of Nerissa Myers before
getting thrown out at first.
ULM was unable to continue holding the Ragin' Cajuns when
they ran up four runs in the fifth inning after jacking the bases again off a
lead-off walk and back-to-back singles. The first run of the game scored on a
fielder's choice followed by a Katie Smith RBI single to keep all three bases
occupied. The next two walked in before UL-Lafayette struck out swinging
leading 4-0.
The Ragin' Cajuns' Megan Granger walked to lead off the next
inning and Erikka Murphy entered to pinch run before coming around from second to
reach home thanks to a Natalie Fernandez single and cushion their lead 5-0.
Fernandez went 3-for-4 to lead UL-Lafayette with one run and
two RBIs while Katie Smith went 3-for-3 with one RBI. Four other Ragin' Cajuns
also scored a run while Ashely Brignac (27-5) picked up her second win this
weekend after allowing just two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.
The Warhawks begin post season play at the Sun Belt
Conference Tournament next Wednesday with the tournament seeds and
corresponding game times to be announced by the league office at 5 p.m. this
evening.
