AUBURN, Ala. – The ULM softball team (11-3) split its first day's contests with a 3-1 morning win over Delaware State in the Auburn Plainsman Invitational opener and a 3-0 loss to No. 21 Auburn in the afternoon contest. Sophomore pitcher Kassidy Giddens registered her fourth victory and her first complete game win of the season in game one on Friday, with the Hornets scoring one unearned run while Giddens allowed only three hits.
 
Sophomores Madison Blount, Ashlan Ard and Lourdes Bacon contributed offensively as Blount led off the third inning with a solo home run and Ard scored two of the Warhawks three runs in the win over the Hornets. Ard had two hits, including her second triple of the season. Sophomore Lourdes Bacon had the final RBI in game one and broke up the Tigers' no-hitter in game two.
 
"We ended up gritting out the seven-inning win, and Kassidy (Giddens) threw seven incredible innings, but I think we should have hit a little better," said ULM head coach Molly Fichtner. "We have to clean up our defense, no doubt about that. We had great momentum with (Madison) Blount coming through with the home run and huge RBI with Alexis Chavez and Lourdes Bacon."
 
ULM returns to Auburn's Jane B. Moore Field Saturday for a single game vs. Bradley with an 11:30 a.m. CT start. The Warhawks face No. 21 Auburn again Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. Live stats are available on the softball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com. Sunday's matchup vs. the Tigers will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
 
No. 21 Auburn 3, ULM 0
Pitcher Shelby Lowe recorded a career-best 13 strikeouts in the 3-0 win for No. 21 Auburn in Friday afternoon's game. ULM allowed the Tigers only three runs, their second-lowest scoring output of 2022, and their smallest margin of victory in their 11 wins.
 
The Tigers scored first in the bottom of the first inning after a lead-off walk and subsequent stolen base became a runner on third after Warhawk throwing error. A sacrifice fly brought in the first Auburn run until the Tigers put together a two-run inning in the third. An Auburn double, then back-to-back bunts, combined with a Warhawk throwing error, plated two runs for a 3-0 lead after three innings.
 
ULM had its first baserunner in the top of the third when Jacelyn Buck was hit by a pitch, but a strikeout and fly out, then incredible defensive play by the Tiger shortstop robbed Lourdes Bacon of a base hit for out number three.
 
The Warhawk pitcher Gianni Hulett and the ULM defense showed their resiliency in the fifth inning with Tigers loading the bases and no outs. After a single and batter hit by a pitch, Auburn's Sydney Cox gets her second hit of the game with a single to left center, putting Tigers on every base. The Warhawks got the force out at the plate, Hulett struck out the next batter and a ground out got ULM out of the inning without any damage.
 
Lowe walked Kelsey Giddens on four pitches, issuing just her fourth walk of the season, to start the sixth inning. Lourdes Bacon broke up Lowe's no-hitter with single to center field and moved Giddens over to scoring position, but Lowe halted the Warhawk threat by striking out the next two ULM batters to get out of the inning.

ULM tried to get on the board in the seventh when Korie Kreps had a two-out single just over the reach of the Tiger shortstop, but Lowe finished the game with her 13^th strikeout.
 
Adrianna Chavarria (1-1) is listed with the loss after starting and working 2.1 innings and Hulett pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in relief with two strikeouts.
 
ULM 3, Delaware State 1
The Hornets got on the board first after Kyla Johnson hit a two-out single in the second inning to bring in Alexis Roberson after she had a lead-off single. Roberson had advanced to third after another Hornet reached base on a Warhawk throwing error.
 
Warhawk catcher Madison Blount led off the bottom of the third inning by slamming a full-count home run to tie the game at 1-all. Ard singled next and moved to second on a sacrifice ground out and to third on a passed ball. Alexis Chavez's two-out single through the right side brought Ard in for a Warhawks 2-1 lead.
 
Ard had her second hit of the day and second triple of the season in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Lourdes Bacon brought Ard across the plate with a single as the Warhawks extended their lead to 3-1, the eventual final score.
 
Kassidy Giddens earned the complete game win, shutting out the Hornets in the final five innings and allowing only three hits and no earned runs. Sydney Hoffman was tagged with the loss for Delaware State.