MONROE, La. – The ULM softball team rallied from an early deficit and then held off SIUE, 9-4, before rolling to an 8-0 win in five innings over Morehead State on the second day of the Best On The Bayou Classic at the Ouachita Sportsplex.
 
ULM (3-0) closes out the season-opening classic on Sunday against Stephen F. Austin at 11 a.m. and Southern at 1:30 p.m. at the Ouachita Sportsplex.

"Tomorrow is Championship Sunday," ULM softball coach Molly Fichtner said. "These are going to be the most important games of the weekend. We're going to focus on winning as many pitches as possible."

ULM 9, SIUE 4
 
SIUE jumped on top early in Saturday's opener. Grace Lueke's 2-RBI single in the top of the first inning brought home Sherri Mason and Sam Breed for the quick 2-0 lead.
 
ULM responded in the bottom of the first. Lourdes Bacon led off with a bunt single and an error allowed her to motor around the bases and score to cut the gap in half. With two outs, Alexis Chavez came through with an RBI single to center to plate Gabby Davila and move Ashlan Ard to second as the game was tied at 2. Jacelyn Buck followed with an RBI single to center, allowing Ard to score for the 3-2 lead after an inning.
 
After pitcher Gianni Hulett worked around an error in the top of the second, the Warhawk bats went back to work. ULM loaded the bases after Bacon walked, Davila came through with a bunt single and Korie Kreps was hit by a pitch. Madison Blount drew a bases loaded walk to force home Bacon for the 4-2 lead. After a pitching change for SIUE, Ard also drew a walk to bring in Davila to go ahead 5-2. A fielder's choice and an RBI by Buck brought in Kreps for the 6-2 lead after two innings.
 
SIUE fought back in the third as Grace Bretveld hit a 2-run home run to cut ULM's lead to 6-4.
 
The Warhawks added to the lead in the fourth inning when Kennedy Page drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home Caley McGuff for a 7-4 lead.
 
ULM extended the lead again in the fifth inning when a throwing error on a ball put in play by Chavez allowed Ard and Davila to score to go ahead 9-4.
 
Adrianna Chavarria (1-0) came out of the bullpen to earn her first win of the season, firing four innings of one-hit ball, giving up one walk while striking out three. Gianni Hulett took a no-decision in the start, pitching three innings, allowing four runs on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Sydney Baalman took the loss for SIUE, giving up six runs on four hits with five walks and a strikeout in an inning-plus of work.

"SIUE jumped out on an early lead in the first," Fichtner said. "I was very proud of our response right after and throughout the game to keep putting runs on the board. Our offense was lights out. (Adrianna Chavarria) Rocky did a great job in the circle in relief. It was a full team effort."
 
Chavez had two hits and an RBI to lead ULM. Buck added two RBIs.
 
ULM 8, Morehead State 0 (5 innings)
 
It was all Warhawks in the second game of the day, as a six-run fourth inning sent ULM to an 8-0 run-rule win.
 
Kassidy Giddens (1-0) gave up only a two-out single to Morehead's Peyton Rose, tossing four shutout innings with three walks and six strikeouts. Kinsey Kackley pitched a perfect fifth inning with two strikeouts in her second appearance of the season.

"Any time you can run rule a competitive program is always a great win," Fichtner said. "Morehead is a good team and we came out and took care of business. (Kassidy Giddens) Kass set the tone with her lights out pitching, and (Kinsey Kackley) Kins closed the game in great fashion. Our pitching staff has done a great job all weekend, and our hitters have found ways to score runs consistently."
 
ULM opened the scoring in the second inning. With two outs, Andie Edwards drew a walk and moved to second on Chavez's single to right. Bacon followed with a walk to load the bases. Davila also drew a walk to force home Edwards for the 1-0 lead.
 
After both teams went in order in the third, Morehead had its best threat in the fourth. Ieesha Christian hit into a fielder's choice, but ULM shortstop Ashlan Ard fired home to throw out Erin Boyle trying to score from third to keep ULM's lead intact at 1-0. With another runner on third and two outs, Kassidy Giddens got Slater to fly out to left field to end the threat.
 
The Warhawks exploded in the fourth, scoring six runs with two outs. With Edwards on third and two outs, Bacon doubled down the left field line to bring home Edwards and extend the lead to 2-0. Davila followed with a walk and Kreps was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ard took advantage with a triple down the right field line to clear the bases, blowing the game open at 5-0. After Blount walked, pinch hitter Kennedy Johnson belted a 2-RBI double to right center to clear the bases again and push the lead to 7-0.
 
After Kackley worked a perfect top of the fifth, ULM ended the game by loading the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning. Davila was hit by a pitch to bring in Edwards to end the game by run rule, 8-0.
 
Bacon and Taylor Broddick had two hits each for ULM. Bacon and Johnson doubled while Ard and Broddick had triples. Ard drove in three runs while Davila and Johnson had two RBIs each.
 
Lennon Spicer suffered the loss for Morehead State, giving up seven runs on nine hits with six walks and three strikeouts.