CONWAY, Ark. – The ULM Softball team dropped both games on the first day of the Adam Brown Memorial Shamrock Classic hosted by Central Arkansas. Belmont completed a seventh-inning comeback to defeat ULM, 6-5, before the Warhawks lost to Stephen F. Austin in five innings, 11-2.
"I think you're never as good as you think you are and you're never as bad as you think you are," head coach Molly Fichtner said. "I think this is something we might have needed for this team to make sure we're staying on our toes and we're respecting our opponents."
Game 1: Belmont 6, ULM 5
ULM (8-10) got on the board early in the top of the second when sophomore Jessica Williams singled up the middle and sophomore Kennedy Johnson was drilled by the pitch. Both advanced on a wild pitch to second and third. The Warhawks loaded the bases when junior Alysia Anderson was walked. Williams crossed home plate on another wild pitch, but ULM couldn't bring any other runners home and took a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the third, senior Jayden Mount crushed her first home run of the season over the left center wall to give the Warhawks a 2-0 lead. On the next batter, senior Ana Hogan doubled to center field and senior Jessie Watts singled on a bunt to give ULM runners in the corners. Hogan and Watts executed a double steal to bring Hogan home and the Warhawks held fast to a 3-0 lead.
Belmont (2-8) responded in the bottom of the third when Lauren Veltri doubled to center field and Kristen Green singled to third to bring Veltri home. ULM still held the lead, 3-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Bruins continued to chip away at the Warhawks' lead. Both Cheyenne Cavanaugh and Bailey Sims singled into left field to get on base. Green got another hit when she doubled. Cavanaugh crossed home plate, but freshman Kelsey Giddens maintained the lead when she tagged Sims out at the plate. ULM held a 3-2 lead.
The Warhawks added two more runs in the top of the sixth and seventh. In the sixth, sophomore Korie Kreps tripled and came home on a Hogan sac fly. In the seventh, Anderson reached on a fielder's choice, stole to second, reached third on a throwing error and then came across the plate on a fielding error. ULM increased their lead, 5-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Bruins turned the tide in their favor. With one out, Sims singled to left field and Green hammered a two-run homer to cut ULM's lead to one. Audrey Lyle reached on a fielder's choice and then came home on a Brooklin Lee double to tie the game at 5. The next batter, Jessica Parente, singled to bring Lee home and give Belmont the win, 6-5.
Mount and Williams both went 3-for-3 at the plate with one run scored apiece while Mount also picked up an RBI. Kreps, Hogan, Watts and junior Rylee Lara all picked up hits on the day. Kreps, Hogan and Anderson accounted for the other three runs scored while Hogan gained a RBI as well.
Freshman Kassidy Giddens (1-4) got the start and pitched 3 1/3 innings. She gave up four runs on six hits while walking four batters and walking two more. Junior Amber Coons (4-1) pitched three innings for the Warhawks and gave up one run on five hits. She struck out three batters and walked one. Watts (0-2) pitched 1/3 of an inning and picked up the loss. She gave up one run on two hits.
Brittany Kennett (2-3) pitched a complete game for the Bruins and gave up five runs on 10 hits while striking out 13 batters and issuing four walks.
Game 2: Stephen F. Austin 11, ULM 2
In the nightcap, ULM struggled early on when it gave up four runs in the first inning. Alex Hedspeth and Shaylon Govan both scored early in the bottom of the first. Marisa Arriaga and Gaby Garcia executed a double steal to bring Garcia home and Arriaga followed that up by scoring as well. SFA (12-4) took a quick 4-0 lead.
The Warhawks didn't find their first hit until the top of the third when Anderson singled to the shortstop but was left on base.
The Lady Jacks added two more runs in the bottom of the third when Arriaga and Savanna Parker scored. SFA continued the onslaught in the bottom of the fourth by adding five more runs to their totals and took an 11-0 lead going into the top of the fifth.
ULM found its footing in the top of the fifth when Anderson singled, and sophomore Kennedy Page followed that up with a triple to bring Anderson home. Mount reached on an error to bring Page home, but the comeback was short lived, and the Lady Jacks took an 11-2 win in five innings.
Anderson went 2-for-2 at the plate with a run scored while Page went 1-for-2 with a run and a RBI. Mount and Watts both went 1-for-3 with Mount picking up another RBI.
Sophomore Murphy Williams (3-2) started for the Warhawks and took the loss. She pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up six runs, five earned, on seven hits. Williams also struck out three batters and walked two more. Sophomore Adrianna Chavarria saw her first appearance in the circle this season and pitched 1 1/3 inning. She gave up five runs on six hits and stuck out three batters while issuing two walks.
Kassidy Wilbur (4-2) started for SFA and earned the win. She pitched 4 1/3 innings and gave up two hits while striking out four batters and walking two more. Reagan Chism came in for 2/3 of an inning and gave up two runs on three hits. She struck out one batter and walked two.
"Overall, it wasn't a good day for us," Fichtner said. "However, the sun rises tomorrow and we're going to get after it."
ULM will continue the Adam Brown Memorial Shamrock Classic on Saturday, Feb. 29, with a matchup against the host Bears. First pitch is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Links to live video and stats are available on the softball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
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