MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Offensive heroics with two outs in the top of the eighth and a complete game from Kinsey Kackley helped ULM to a 4-1 win at Alabama State Tuesday afternoon. Kackley struck out a career-best 12 batters in eight innings to key the Warhawk victory and ULM (13-4) scored three runs in the top of the extra inning in the win.
 
"Kinsey did an incredible job, she is starting to settle in, and I think she looked the most confident she has all year," said ULM head coach Molly Fichtner. "That was exactly what we wanted from Kinsey, especially leading up to conference (play). She had 12 strikeouts, that's half of the entire game with eight innings. When you have a lot of strikeouts and a lot of fly balls, she was making it easy on the defense and Kelcey (Giddens) did a very good job behind the plate."
 
Lead-off batter Lourdes Bacon, who scored the Warhawks' first run in the first inning, drew a walk in the top of the eighth and moved over to second on an Alabama State wild pitch. Kennedy Johnson got on base after being hit by a pitch and stole the open second base after Bacon went to third on a Madelyn Fletcher sacrifice fly. Bacon finished the day going 2-3 and scored two of the Warhawks' four runs.
 
With two outs, a Madison Blount left-side single drove in both Bacon and Johnson and with the play at the plate, Blount moved to second base. Korie Kreps singled up the middle to plate Blount for the fourth and final ULM run. In the bottom half of the inning, Kackley continued her exceptional outing with two strikeouts and a ground ball to retire the Hornets one-two-three and secure the 4-1 win and her third victory of the season.
 
Kackley gave up no runs and two hits through six innings with two doubles in the seventh producing Alabama State's game-tying run. The Warhawks played error-free ball in Tuesday's win.
 
The Warhawks took the first-inning lead after Bacon singled, stole second and then crossed the plate on a Hornet error that allowed Madelyn Fletcher to reach base.
 
Bacon had two hits, Blount recorded two RBI and scored a run, and Johnson, Kreps, Kelcey Giddens and Taylor Broddick gave ULM its seven total hits for the day.
 
"We had opportunities in the first inning, the second inning, third inning, the fifth inning, to come through with some clutch hitting, but unfortunately, we had empty at-bats. We just can't afford to do that against a team like that, we have to be able to get some runs in. Fortunately, in the eighth we had our first clutch hit with Maddie Blount and then Korie Kreps came through and we scored all those runs with two outs. We just have to do it sooner in the game."
 
ULM plays at Jacksonville State Wed., March 2 at 2 p.m. CT in a game set for broadcast on ESPN+. Live stats are available at ULMWarhawks.com.