FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.
- ULM split the final day at the Arkansas Invitational. With the split, the
Warhawks finished in second place. ULM (7-7) started the day with a thrilling 7-6
victory over Arkansas then fell 10-2 in six innings against Murray State.
Sophomore Alexis Cacioppo had three hits, three RBI and a run scored to pace
the Warhawks Sunday.
Game 1: ULM 7,
Arkansas 6 (8 inn.) (Semifinal)
ULM overcame a six-run lead to shock Arkansas 7-6 in eight
innings. Cacioppo's
solo shot with two outs in the top of the eighth was the game-winning hit.
Arkansas (11-5) got on the board in the bottom of the first when junior
Clarisa Navarro hit a one-out triple
into the right center to drive in the Razorbacks first run. Two batters later,
junior Jennifer Rambo hit a two-run
homer to deep right on a 2-2 pitch with two down and Arkansas jumped out to a
3-0 lead.
The Razorbacks added three more runs on a bases-clearing double
by redshirt sophomore Sierra Bronkey
in the bottom of the second.
ULM got its first run on an RBI-single by sophomore Kayla Boening after freshman Faith Bohack reached on a two-out
double.
The Warhawks had a chance to do more damage in the top of
the fourth as they had runners on second and third with no one out. Arkansas
starter sophomore Kimmy Beasley
settled into a groove and struck out the next three batters.
ULM added three runs in the top of the fifth to draw within
two. Sophomore Mackenzie Miller led
off the inning with a double. Boening drew a one out walk then both runners
moved up on a double steal. Playing small ball, Cacioppo laid down a perfect sacrifice
bunt to drive in Miller and move Boening to third. Senior Janel Salanoa notched another RBI on a single and scored from first
on fellow senior Haley McCall's RBI
double to deep center.
ULM added another run after Boening slapped a two-out single
in the top of the sixth. The Razorbacks committed two errors on the play
allowing Bohack to score from first and Boening to reach third. Cacioppo then
drove in the tying run on a single through the middle of the infield. McCall
singled to load the bases, but the Warhawks ended the inning with the bases
loaded.
Sophomore Haylie
Wilson was masterful in relief, holding the Razorbacks to just three hits
prior and no runs in 6.2 innings. She ran into trouble in the bottom of the
seventh. After surrendering back-to-back walks to start the frame, Wilson
worked out of it, forcing a fielder's choice and a double play. She struck out Bronkey
on a 2-2 pitch to end the game in the bottom of the eighth.
Game 2: Murray
State 10, ULM 2 (6 inn.) (Championship)
ULM fell 10-2 in six innings to Murray State (4-5) in the Arkansas
Invitational championship game.
The Racers grabbed an early lead after Ellyn Troup belted a two-run homer to left field in the bottom of
the first with two down.
Murray State added another run on Casey Castile's lead-off home run to start the bottom of the
second.
The Racers got out to a 4-0 lead after Leslie Bridges doubled off the outfield wall to drive in Troup from
first. Troup slid under a very close play at the plate, but was safe by about a
step. Castile recorded her second RBI of the day on a double to score Bridges
from third and the Racers were out to a 5-0 lead. Murray State led 6-0 after
Castile scored on the second Warhawk error of the game.
Alexa Becker
launched a two-run home run to deep left center in the bottom of the fourth to
make it 8-0 Racers.
The Warhawks got on the board in the top of the fifth.
Miller belted a two-run double off the left field wall with one out. Heads up base running on Boening's deep
fly-out gave ULM runners at second and third with two down, but could not chip off
more of the Racer lead.
Sarah Anderson led
off the bottom of the fifth with the third Murray State homer of the day to put
Racers up 9-2.
ULM had a chance to do further damage in the top of the
sixth with the bases loaded and one down, but could not capitalize.
The game ended on a costly throwing error allowing a run to
cross. It gave Murray State the 10-2 in six innings.
ULM is back in action Friday, March 1 at Northwestern State
in the first game of the Lady Demon Invitational.
