THE BASICS
Scores: Game 1 - South Alabama 8, ULM 5 (9 Innings)
Game 2 – ULM 1, South Alabama 2
Teams: ULM (28-20, 10-10 SBC)
South Alabama (27-17, 9-12 SBC)
Location: Monroe, La.
MONROE, La. - The ULM softball team dropped a pair of extra inning games to South Alabama in Sun Belt Conference play on Saturday afternoon, falling 8-5 in the opener in nine innings before a 2-1 loss in game two in an eight inning contest.
TURNING POINT
-In game one, South Alabama came back to tie the score in the seventh inning and force extras, where the visitors would score three runs in the top of the ninth for the comeback win.
-In game two, South Alabama tied the game in the top of the sixth to force extra innings again and then saw an inside the park home run in the eightth inning be the difference in earning the doubleheader sweep.
NOTABLES
-The opening game of the series was dedicated as a Pink Game to bring support for breat cancer awareness. The first pitch was thrown out by Debbie Swan, the mother of ULM alum Kaylee, who will be starting her eight year being cancer free on May 28.
-In the opener, ULM led 5-2 after six innings, only to see South Alabama tie the game with a three-run top of the seventh to force extra innings before the three-run ninth gave the visitors the win.
-Sydney McKay and Jayden Mount (2 RBI) finished with two hits each at the top of the ULM order to combine for four of the Warhawks seven total his. Melanie Coyne (RBI), Hunter Hogan and Brie Wrobel (RBI) also contributed one hit each.
-Coyne was saddled with the loss despite setting a new single game record of 12 strikeouts in the contest. Coyne allowed eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and only one walk in the nine innings.
-The second game was deadlocked at zeros until ULM took the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth. South Alabama responded with a run in the top of the sixth to again set up extra innings before the inside the park homer in the eighth.
-Hunter Hogan paced the Warhawks with three hits in the second game, while McKay followed with another two-hit game. Sami Billeaudeau had the only other ULM hit in the loss.
-Paige Murray was saddled with the loss after eight innings of work, allowing two runs on seven his and no walks with four strikeouts.
UP NEXT
-The Warhawks will return to Geo-Surfaces Field on Sunday to close out the weekend series against South Alabama with a noon first pitch.
