CONWAY, Ark. – The ULM Softball team wrapped up the Adam Brown Memorial Shamrock Classic on Sunday, March 1, with an 8-4 loss to Northern Iowa at the Jeff Farris Softball Complex.
"Starting pitching starts the tone for everything and we didn't have it," head coach Molly Fichtner said. "When you give up six runs in the first two innings, it's really hard to come back from that."
UNI (6-9) took an early lead in the top of the first. Sammey Bunch, Hannah Kelley and Adara Opiola accounted for three straight singles and Bunch came home from second on Opiola's single. Ashley Chesser walked to load the bases and Jenny Kohl singled to bring Kelley home. Madison Parks walked and Opiola came home to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead. UNI sent their entire lineup to the plate during the inning.
The Warhawks (9-11) cut the deficit in the bottom of the first when sophomore Korie Kreps singled down the left side and advanced to third on a sac bunt and a wild pitch. Senior Ana Hogan hit another double to bring Kreps home. Hogan made it to third on a ground out and came home on a single by sophomore Jessica Williams. UNI still held the lead, 3-2.
The Panthers increased their lead in the top of the second when Bunch hit a lead-off double and Opiola walked. Chesser hit a double to left field and brought two runs home before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Chesser came home on a sac fly to increase the UNI lead to 6-2.
ULM was able to add another run in the bottom of the fourth when junior Alysia Anderson singled to left field and made it third on a fielding error. Sophomore Kennedy Page singled up the middle to bring Anderson home and cut the deficit to 6-3.
The Panthers added another run in the top of the sixth when Chesser doubled and pinch runner Hannah Isley came home on a Taylor Hogan single and a subsequent throwing error. UNI held a 7-3 lead.
In the bottom of the same inning, Williams belted the first home run of her career over the left wall to cut the Warhawks' deficit to 7-4.
"I think we hit the ball well overall, we just weren't ready to go from the very beginning," Fichtner said.
Tianna Drahn added another run for the Panthers in top of the seventh when she singled down the right line and advanced to third on a fielding error. She then came home on a wild pitch to increase UNI's lead, 8-4.
Williams went 2-for-2 at the plate with one run and two RBIs. Anderson and Page both went 2-for-3 while Anderson had a run and Page had a RBI. Kreps, Hogan and sophomore Kennedy Johnson combined for three hits and two runs scored.
Freshman pitcher Kassidy Giddens (1-6) got the start and the loss for ULM. She gave up three runs on three hits while walking one batter. Sophomore Murphy Williams (4-1) pitched 1 1/3 inning and gave up three runs on three hits while striking out one batter and walking two more. Junior Amber Coons (4-1) finished the game and gave up two unearned runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings pitched. She struck out five batters and walked one.
Samantha Heyer (3-5) pitched a complete game for the Panthers and gave up four runs, three earned, on nine hits and struck out six batters.
"It helps that we don't have a midweek and we can really focus on what we need to work on so we'll be ready for conference play," Fichtner said.
The Warhawks will stay on the road and travel to Statesboro, Georgia, on Friday, March 6, for the first conference series of the season against Georgia Southern. Links to live video and stats can be found on the softball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
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