BATON ROUGE, La. – A late-inning rally fell short for ULM in a 5-4 loss to Eastern Illinois, while the Warhawks made a two-run top of the fifth inning stand up for a 3-2 win over Southern Wednesday afternoon.
In the first game of the day, ULM took an early lead on EIU. Madison Blount doubled to score Kennedy Page for a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
EIU did the bulk of its damage in the third inning. Hannah Cravens drove in a run with an RBI double to right-center field, while Haley Mitchell and Mia Davis each drove in a run as the Panthers claimed a 3-1 lead.
Korie Kreps hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third to answer back, bringing ULM within 3-2.
Eastern Illinois pulled back away in the fifth inning, when Davis picked up a 2-RBI single to extend the Panther lead to 5-2.
The Warhawks responded in the bottom of the sixth inning. Andie Edwards singled to right, bringing home Madelyn Fletcher. A throwing error on the play allowed Kennedy Johnson to score as well, cutting the deficit to 5-4.
ULM had one last chance to tie the game or win in the bottom of the seventh, but Fletcher was stranded at first base to end the game.
Kreps, Blount, Fletcher and Johnson each had two hits as the Warhawks tallied 11 hits in the loss. Kennedy Page and Blount each had doubles.
Amber Coons (0-1) was charged with the loss, giving up three runs, two earned, on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts over four innings in the circle.
Against Southern, the Jaguars scored in the first inning when Lauren Parks tripled to right center, scoring Kalea Brown for the 1-0 lead.
The Warhawks tied the game in the third inning. Madison Blount doubled down the left field line to score Caley McGuff to knot the game at 1.
In the fifth inning, a sacrifice fly by Korie Kreps scored Kelsey Giddens to put ULM up 2-1. The Warhawks added an insurance run when Gianni Hulett singled to left center, scoring McGuff for the 3-1 lead.
Southern got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when Parks singled to center, scoring Brown. However, the Jaguars were unable to tie the game, which was called due to darkness following the inning.
Seven different Warhawks had a hit in the win. Kassidy Giddens (1-0) picked up the win in the circle, throwing 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Hulett earned her first save by recording the final out of the game.
The Warhawks travel to Birmingham, Alabama, to play in the Samford tournament. ULM will face Northern Iowa at 10 a.m. Saturday followed by Samford at 1 p.m. The Warhawks will then play the same two teams on Sunday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Links to live video, audio and stats, when available, are posted on the softball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
