LAFAYETTE, La. – The ULM softball program eliminated its third different team of the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Championships as it routed fourth-seeded WKU 8-1 on Friday at Lamson Park.
Sixth-seeded ULM (25-26) trailed 1-0 in the fourth inning when Faith Bohack changed the game with a two-out, two-run bomb to leftfield to give the Warhawks the 2-1 lead. The blast scored Alexis Cacioppo who reached base by drilling a one-out double over the right fielder's head.
The Warhawks pulled away in their next at-bat with four runs to go up 6-1. Amye Barre got it started with a double into the right-centerfield gap. After Mackenzie Miller came in to pitch-run, she moved to third on a single by Sidney Coy. Miller scored on a fielder's choice when she avoided the tag on a play at the plate. The Warhawks garnered their second run of the frame on an error at shortstop as Coy came in to score.
ULM loaded the bases in the inning after a one-out walk by Cacioppo. Hollie Letourneau delivered a hard-hit RBI single to leftfield to score All-Conference Second-Team selection Miyuki Navarrete. The final run of the inning came on an RBI fielder's choice by Bohack to plate SBC Freshman of the Year Rochelle Roberts.
The Warhawks added a couple insurance runs in the sixth inning on a two-out single by Roberts which scored a pair. The knock scored Courtney Dutreix and Navarrete from second and third. Dutreix reached on a fielder's choice and Navarrete on a walk. The duo moved up a base after a wild pitch.
Samantha Hamby (17-16) earned the win in the circle for ULM after tossing a complete-game. She struck out a pair and allowed just one earned run. Emily Rousseau (18-18) recorded the loss for WKU after surrendering seven hits and four earned runs in 4.1 innings.
Defensively, Dutreix had a very notable day in leftfield for ULM with a pair of diving grabs.
WKU, which won the SBC regular season last season and reached NCAA Regionals, got on the board first in the third inning on a bases-loaded walk with two outs for its only run of the game.
The Warhawks have won three games in the SBC tournament for the first time since 2008 when they advanced to the championship game. They are assured at least a spot among the final three teams in the tournament in a league ranked fourth in the country in conference RPI.
ULM will take the field again no earlier than 5:00 p.m. today in the SBC semi-finals and will face the loser of No. 12 UL-Lafayette and No. 22 South Alabama. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN3.
