NASHVILLE – The ULM softball squad found itself on the right side of two wins Friday in the first day of the Tiger Classic held at Tiger Softball Field.
The Warhawks had to fight off an offensive explosion in a 14-10 triumph over Northern Kentucky and got some key hits from freshman Sydney McKay in a 5-2 win over Butler.
ULM 14, Northern Kentucky 10
Junior left fielder Rochelle Roberts hit two home runs and recorded five RBIs in a 14-10 slugfest that ended in a ULM victory over Northern Kentucky in the Tiger Classic opener Friday at Tiger Softball Field.
The last time a Warhawk recorded multiple home runs and at least four RBIs in a game was May 3, 2014 when Alexis Cacioppo achieved the feat with two homers and six RBIs at UL Lafayette. This marked the first win in six games during Corey Lyon's tenure when the opponent scored 10 or more runs.
Roberts hit the first homer to centerfield on the first pitch of the game. Senior Faith Bohack then singled, stole second and advanced to third on an illegal pitch which walked freshman Sydney McKay. McKay also stole second before senior Amye Barre plated Bohack on an RBI sacrifice fly to left field.
NKU (0-1) counterpunched in the bottom half of the first with two home runs including a grand slam from sophomore third baseman Kate Bartolovich which put six on the board for the Norse. That home run ended Paige Porter's outing, handing the reins over to freshman Katlynn Kaminski who ended the inning by forcing an Emma Coons flyout to McKay in right field.
ULM (5-2), however, clawed its way back into the game by scoring two in the top of the second on illegal pitches after sophomore catcher Samantha Agamaite sparked the offense with a leadoff triple. The Warhawks' offense followed up with five in the top of the third on sophomore Cheyanne Lyon's two-run homer to right and Roberts' second home run, a three-run shot, to center which gave ULM a 9-6 edge.
The Warhawks added another run in the top of the fourth. After junior Vanessa Garcia walked to start the inning, Barre hit a double to left center to put runners on second and third with none out. Garcia then scored with two outs on a wild pitch.
Kaminski allowed just one hit thru her first 3.1 innings pitched before getting into a jam in the bottom of the fifth. She hit Norse outfielder Zahrya McFarland with the bases loaded before allowing a Paige McQueen single to shorten the gap at 10-8.
Kaminski then walked Alina Maher to end her outing and gave way to junior Melanie Coyne with a one-run lead, two outs and the bases loaded. Coyne hit Coons which tied the game at 10 before popping out Sydney Ferrante to the mound to end the inning.
After both teams went scoreless in the sixth, the Warhawks made their last charge in the top of the seventh. Junior McKinley Marks led off with a single before Lyon walked on an illegal pitch, putting freshman pinch runner Victoria Pederson at third.
Agamaite then advanced freshman Megan Shaw, who pinch ran for Lyon, on a sacrifice bunt before junior Sidney Coy scored Pederson on a fielder's choice and Roberts singled to center which scored Shaw. McKay would add two more insurance runs on a bases-clearing triple to right center, giving the Warhawks a 14-10 advantage heading to the final half inning.
Coyne shut the door by striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh, earning her third win of the season.
ULM 5, Butler 2
Freshman Sydney McKay notched a career-high three RBIs and Coyne (3-1) pitched her third complete game of the season as ULM bested Butler 5-2 Friday afternoon at Tiger Softball Field.
In the bottom of the first, Roberts reached first on a bunt single, stole second and advanced to third on a Bohack sacrifice bunt. McKay then lined out to right field which brought home Roberts, giving ULM (6-2) an early 1-0 lead.
After Coy and Roberts strung together back-to-back singles in the bottom of the third, McKay struck again with a triple down the right field line which scored both and gave Coyne more leeway at 3-0.
Those runs proved to be crucial as Butler (2-4) responded by scoring two runs in the top of the fourth. Junior center fielder Brandyce Sallee hit a solo home run to center, and sophomore third baseman Alyssa Lach singled before being plated by freshman pitcher Kaitlin Doud's triple to right. Coyne then struck out Bulldog catcher Riley Carter swinging to leave Doud stranded at third to end the inning.
The Warhawks then added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth in an unorthodox fashion. Following a Garcia walk, Barre struck out swinging which should have ended the inning. Butler's catcher, however, overthrew the first baseman on the wild pitch, allowing both runners to score.
After the two run-fourth, Coyne did not allow a hit and struck out five of the final 10 batters she faced.
Roberts finished 2-4 with a stolen base; Marks got on base all three times at the plate, and Coy raised her average to .375 after going 2-3 at the dish and scored a run.
The Warhawks return to action tomorrow, facing host Tennessee State at 11:15 a.m. inside Tiger Softball Park. This will be ULM's first true road test of the season.
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