TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Junior Melanie Coyne exerted a valiant complete-game effort in ULM softball's 5-0 loss to No. 2 Alabama in the Crimson Classic finale Sunday at Rhoads Stadium.
Coyne (8-6) allowed 10 hits, scattering three in the final five innings, five runs (all earned) and struck out four while not allowing a walk. Tide pitcher Alexis Osorio (7-0) countered Coyne's performance with a gem, a one-hit complete-game shutout complemented by a career-high 16 strikeouts.
In the bottom of the first, Alabama (20-2) leadoff hitter Haylie McCleney hit a 3-2 pitch off the bottom of the center-field fence. As McCleney hesitated rounding third, so did junior Rochelle Roberts, allowing McCleney to race home and give Alabama a quick 1-0 advantage. The Tide strung together four more hits in the inning and scored two more runs on RBI singles from Leona Lafaele and Sydney Booker.
Coyne settled in to retire eight of the next nine Tide hitters until two outs in the fifth when Marisa Runyon laced a single to right field and Reagan Dykes turned on a 1-0 inside pitch that cleared the fence over the left-field foul pole, extending the Alabama lead to 5-0.
The pitchers' duel continued as Roberts slapped ULM's only hit, a one out-single, to left field in the top of the sixth after sophomore Cheyanne Lyon was hit by pitch to put runners on first and second with one out. Osorio responded by striking out the next two batters and retired four of the final five Warhawk (12-9) hitters via strikeout.
ULM's next contest comes in a makeup midweek game at Northwestern State Wednesday on a 5 p.m. first pitch.
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