STATESBORO, Ga. – The ULM softball team earned its second Sun Belt Conference series win in as many weekends on Saturday afternoon when it completed a doubleheader sweep of Georgia Southern by scores of 5-3 and 11-9. The victories mean that for the first time since 2018, when the Warhawks downed Coastal Carolina and UT Arlington in succession, that ULM has clinched consecutive Sun Belt Conference series.
 
Game 1: ULM 5, Georgia Southern 3
 
Korie Kreps and Jayden Mount finished the game with two hits and one RBI each, accounting for a home run and a double, respectively, to lead ULM at the plate. The Warhawks finished with seven hits in the game with Kennedy Johnson contributing a double, as Murphy Williams (1-4) earned the win after tossing six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out four batters. Gianni Hulett (S, 2) picked up the save as she fanned three Georgia Southern hitters in her only inning in the circle.
 
Trailing 3-1 heading into the seventh inning, Kreps delivered a one-out single up the middle ahead of a single by Andie Edwards that got the ULM lineup energized. Mount delivered a double to right, scoring Kreps on the play, as the lead dwindled to one, 3-2.
 
Madelyn Fletcher reached on a fielder's choice, moving Mount to third and plating Edwards on a muffed throw by the catcher that knotted the game at three-all. Kennedy Johnson provided ULM with a 4-3 lead on a sacrifice fly to right that plated Mount. Pinch-hitter Rylee Lara came through with a two-out single to short, scoring Fletcher as ULM added an insurance run, 5-3. The Warhawks turned to Hulett out of the bullpen, who delivered three straight strikeouts for the save.  
 
Kreps led off the game with a home run for the Warhawks, slamming a 2-2 pitch over the centerfield wall as ULM jumped in front 1-0. Georgia Southern drew even in the home half of the first when a fielder's choice by Bailee Wilson moved Faith Shirley into scoring position at second. A wild pitch moved both runners up before a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Janai Conklin scored Shirley from third base.
 
The Eagles kept the ULM bats silent and tacked on two runs in the fourth, taking advantage of a double to left centerfield by Ashlynn Gunter that scored Mekhia Freeman for the 2-1 lead. Shirley followed by dropping a double into right centerfield, scoring Gunter as the Eagles established a 3-1 advantage.
 
Game 2: ULM 11, Georgia Southern 9
 
The two teams combined for 30 hits and 20 runs in the second game with four Warhawk hitters finishing with multiple hits. Jayden Mount led all ULM hitters, finishing 4-of-5 from the plate with three RBIs and three runs scored, highlighted by a two-run home run in the second.
 
Korie Kreps (3-5, 2 RBIs, 3 runs, double) and Andie Edwards (3-5, 2 runs) teamed with Mount to help the top-third of the ULM order to account for 10 hits, eight runs and five RBIs. Rylee Lara (2-2, double) also finished with multiple hits for the Warhawks in the contest.
 
Murphy Williams (2-4) logged two innings on the mound, allowing two hits and converting one strikeout in her second win of the afternoon. Teammate and starter Kassidy Giddens pitched five innings, allowed four runs on five hits and made four strikeouts.
ULM (10-12, 4-1 Sun Belt) had four multi-run innings in the game, including the first where the Warhawks used a single by Mount to score Kreps for the first run of the game. Fletcher followed with a sacrifice bunt to first that brought Edwards home from third for the 2-0 lead.
 
The Warhawks added four runs in the second inning, stretching their lead to 4-1 on a two RBI double down the left field line by Kreps. Two batters later, with Kreps at third, Mount blasted a two-run home run over the left field wall for the 6-1 Warhawk lead.
 
With the 6-1 lead intact in the fourth, Mount again delivered for the Warhawks, coming through with a single to centerfield that placed Kreps at third. Fletcher drove a single up the middle, scoring both Mount and Kreps on the play, as the lead ballooned to 8-1. Kennedy Johnson put the third run of the inning across with a double down the left field line that brought Fletcher home from first.
 
Georgia Southern (6-10, 0-2 Sun Belt) scored eight unanswered runs between the fifth and seventh innings, pulling even at 9-9, as the two teams battled into extra innings. Edwards singled down the right field line to open the frame and Mount followed with a bunt single to put runners at first and second. Fletcher reached base on a fielding error at second, allowing Mount and Edwards to both score on a throwing error by the right fielder as ULM forged in front 11-9.
 
In the bottom of the inning, Bailee Wilson doubled to center to drive in a run to cut the deficit to 11-10. However, an appeal from ULM head coach Molly Fichtner and the following ruling by the home plate umpire that Wilson did not properly re-enter the game meant Wilson was out for batting out of order and the run was removed from the board. Williams induced a pop up from Janai Conklin to end the game.
 
The two teams conclude the series on Sunday, March 21 at 11 a.m. Links to live video and stats are available on the softball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.