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ULM Softball Welcomes Jackson State for Home Opener Wednesday

ULM Softball Welcomes Jackson State for Home Opener Wednesday

Softball Feb 15
MONROE, La. – The ULM softball team opens its home schedule against Jackson State on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the ULM Softball Complex. The Warhawks are 5-0 after impressive performances in the Best of the Bayou Classic last weekend and off to their best start since 2006 when they opened 10-0.
 
"The most important part of mid-week games is going to be the live game situations – games can give us so much feedback on areas that we need to address during the next practices," ULM softball head coach Molly Fichtner said. "We are looking forward to competing against JSU Wednesday for our home opener. It should prepare us well going into this weekend against some very competitive programs."
 
Last weekend's team success featured a combination of explosive offense and strong pitching to get the 2022 slate underway. ULM scored 43 runs in the five victories while keeping the bases clean and allowing only seven total runs. The Warhawks' offensive productivity placed them among the nation's best in terms of batting average at .333 for 34th nationally with an on-base percentage of .448 for 23rd in the country.
 
Freshman Gabby Davila and sophomore Madelyn Fletcher each belted a home run and drove in six runs during the Best of the Bayou Classic while sophomore transfer Lourdes Bacon had a combined eight hits. Freshman Kinsey Kackley pitched 8.1 innings without allowing an earned run and struck out 12 in three appearances, picking up her first win of 2022. Sophomore Gianni Hulett had a win and recorded a save in three outings and veterans Kassidy Giddens, Adrianna Chavarria and Victoria Abrams also started off the season with a win apiece.
 
*I was very pleased with the team's performance this weekend," Fichtner commented. "Our offense scored over 40 runs in five games and our pitching staff had very minimal earned runs. I would like to see us clean up some defensive miscues going into our next games."
 
The last time ULM and Jackson State played each other, the Warhawks scored 10 runs in both games of the April 2021 doubleheader, winning 10-0, and 10-5 (8 inn.) in Jackson, Mississippi. Kassidy Giddens picked up the win in the first game as the Warhawks compiled 13 hits and gave her a 6-0 cushion in the first inning. Nine Warhawks had at least one hit each in the second game as ULM scored seven runs in the eighth inning for its second mid-week doubleheader sweep of the 2021 season.
 
Jackson State (5-1) averaged 7.6 runs per game in its first five wins before falling to Grambling State, 17-2, in its final game of the River City Classic last weekend. Tiger centerfielder Lauren Stewart is one of the nation's top offensive players statistically after the first weekend of play as she leads the nation in total bases and triples and is ranked as the toughest to strike out. She is second in the country in total hits with 11 and ninth overall in slugging percentage (1.316). Stewart tops 10 stat categories in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Jackson State's right-handed pitcher Macie Kuppenbender struck out 11 in 12.1 innings with two wins last weekend with four other Tigers splitting 26 innings of work. Takiya Hill (1-0) and Victoria Salazer (1-1) also made three appearances along with Brook Boechler, who allowed only one hit in her first win of the year.
 
For the youthful Warhawks, Wednesday's game against Jackson State, upcoming mid-week competitions and tournaments will pay immediate benefits. ULM plays in the Feb. 18-20 Golden Eagle Invitational at Southern Miss, a single game at Grambling State on Feb. 22 before closing out the month at the Feb. 25-27 Auburn Invitational.
 
*We do have a lot of youth on our team and the most important thing right now is to get them as much experience as possible," Fichtner said. "The team camaraderie is fantastic, especially since blending eight newbies (four freshmen and four transfers) into the program. We are excited to continue building off this past weekend and look forward to getting better each day."
 
Live stats are available on the softball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com or click here.
 
 
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