MONROE, La – The ULM softball team is on the road for the second-to-last time this season, as they head to San Marcos, Texas to play Sun Belt opponent Texas State in a three-game weekend series. First pitch of game one is slated for Saturday (April 21) at 1 p.m.
The Warhawks are coming off a tough loss in Oxford, dropping the mid-week non-conference match-up to the Rebels, 7-0.
ULM struggled to put base runners on, as they could not manage the same success they have in the past, playing their usual 'small-ball.' Junior
Sydney McKay earned the Hawks' only hit in the loss.
McKay maintains an impressive .416 batting average, the best in the Sun Belt and only one of three athletes batting .400 or better in the conference. McKay also leads the league with 62 hits and 42 runs scored.
Sophomore
Jayden Mount has made it known to opposing pitchers that she's getting on base, and she'll do whatever it takes to get there. Mount holds the highest on base percentage in the conference at .561, and has been hit by pitch a whopping 23 times- only three away from the ULM season record.
At the helm, senior
Rochelle Roberts has made her mark as one of the best to come through ULM. Roberts currently leads the Sun Belt in stolen bases with 19, and ranks in the top ten in batting average, runs scored, and total hits.
Roberts' success at the plate has put her in the running for multiple program career records at ULM. Roberts is only 19 runs away from the all-time lead, eight hits, one sacrifice fly, and twelve stolen bases.
The Warhawks (23-18, 9-9) have only nine more conference games before the Sun Belt Championship and is looking to punch its ticket to Lafayette sooner than later.
#23 Texas State (32-10, 12-2) has dropped its only conference matches to #21 Louisiana, who claimed the Sun Belt series in a 3-1 rubber game win on Monday (April 16). The Bobcats are 15-3 this season at home and will be out to extend that record this weekend.
Leading the Bobcats in the circle is senior Randi Rupp. Rupp's 1.32 ERA is a conference high and her 200 strikeouts are second-best in Division I.
Rupp has an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio, but Warhawk pitcher senior
Paige Murray has the least amount of walks allowed in the Sun Belt with only 23.
At the plate, Texas State looks to Hailey MacKay. MacKay is batting .382 and has achieved a team high nine homeruns in her 42 appearances.
The last time ULM and Texas State met, the two team split a Saturday double-header, with the Warhawks dropping game one, but claiming a 3-2 win in game two. The mid-series loss was the Bobcat's first Sun Belt loss of the season.
Mount and McKay combined in the first and second innings of game two to give ULM a 3-0 lead after two innings of work; the Bobcats would answer with two of their own in the third, but the Warhawk defense stepped up to end the rally and win the game.
This weekends' series is available for fans via live stream and stats, links can be found at ULMWarhawks.com. Fans are encouraged to follow along with the action on Twitter at @ULM_Softball.
