MONROE, La. – Jayden Mount's RBI single up the middle scored Caley McGuff as ULM picked up an 8-7 walk-off victory in eight innings over Jacksonville State Friday at the Best On The Bayou Classic at the Ouachita Sportsplex.
A game that started with big innings eventually turned into a pitcher's duel late as the Warhawks (1-1) rallied for their first win of 2021.
JSU started the game with a bang as RBI singles by Jada Terry and Hannah Brown to put the Gamecocks on top, 2-0, in the top of the first inning.
ULM responded in the bottom half of the inning. Korie Kreps and Kennedy Page hit back-to-back singles to open the inning and Jayden Mount followed with a walk. Freshman Madison Blount brought everyone home with her first-career home run, a grand slam to left, to put ULM on top, 4-2. Later in the inning, Kelsey Giddens added an RBI triple to score Madelyn Fletcher to expand the lead to 5-2.
The Gamecocks tied the game in the top of the third. Chaney Phillips picked up an RBI single to bring JSU within two, 5-3. With two outs in the inning, Shelby Newsome singled to right center, driving in a pair of runs to tie the game at 5.
Both teams' pitching settled in after that. Reagan Watkins took over for JSU after the first five batters of the game, while Adrianna Chavarria entered in the third inning for ULM, giving up Newsome's single before getting out of the frame.
The two sides traded runs in the sixth inning. Megan Fortner hit a leadoff home run in the top of the sixth for JSU, putting the Gamecocks up 6-5. In the bottom of the inning, the Warhawks rallied with two outs. Kelsey Giddens started the rally with a single and McGuff followed with another base hit. Kreps walked to load the bases and Page walked, forcing home Giddents to tie the game at 6.
After a scoreless seventh inning sent the game to extra innings, the Warhawks came through in the bottom of the eighth to end the game. McGuff walked to open the inning and moved to third on a bunt single by Kreps and a throwing error. After Alexus Jimmerson replaced Watkins in the circle, Page earned a walk to load the bases, leading to Mount's RBI single up the middle to score McGuff for the win.
Chavarria (1-1) was the third pitcher of the day for ULM but earned her first win of the season, throwing 5 1/3 innings of relief, giving up a run while scattering eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Watkins (0-1) suffered the tough-luck loss for JSU, throwing 7 innings in relief, giving up two runs on five hits with five walks and eight strikeouts.
Kreps had two hits and two walks while Kelsey Giddens added two hits for ULM. Blount earned four RBIs on her first inning grand slam. ULM had nine hits as a team.
The Warhawks wrap up the Best On The Bayou Classic on Saturday, facing Lipscomb at noon and Arkansas at 2:30 p.m. For links to live stats, visit the softball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
