MONROE, La. – One big inning helped lift App State over ULM softball in a 7-6 win for the Mountaineers in the second game of the series Saturday at the ULM Softball Complex. Emily Parrott hit a two-out grand slam to push the Mountaineers ahead of the Warhawks in the top of the fifth inning.
 
"A loss – L.O.S.S. – for us stands for 'Learning Opportunity Stay Strong,' and we have told our team before, 'if you're not learning, it is a loss,' and we just have to get better each day," said ULM softball head coach Molly Fichtner. "The more we are put in these positions, the more experience we are going to get. That experience will be better for us in the long run."
 
App State (17-11, 5-3), trailing 6-1 after four innings, scored two runs when Kennedy Upshire hit a two-out double to left field, bringing in two Mountaineers after back-to-back singles put them on base. A fielder's choice put runners on first and third when Upshire stepped to the plate. Walks issued to two Mountaineers loaded the bases for Parrott who put App State up 7-6 with her grand slam. She finished the game two-for-four on with four RBI and a walk.
 
The Mountaineers picked up their first run after hitting back-to-back singles and drawing a walk to load the bases to start the game. Baylee Morton hit a sacrifice fly to center to plate App State's first run.
 
ULM scored five runs in the second on only two hits, taking advantage of two walks and two App State errors. Kennedy Johnson took first after being hit by a pitch and moved to second on Jacelyn Buck's single up the middle. Johnson scored when Andie Edwards reached base on an error and moved to third when a fielder's choice put Madelyn Fletcher on first. Edwards made the move to come home when the Mountaineers' got the second out of the inning when Fletcher was caught stealing.
 
The Warhawks were on every base after walks were issued to Madison Blount and Lourdes Bacon and Alexis Chavez reached first on an App State throwing error. Kennedy Page's two-out double to centerfield plated three runs for a 5-1 ULM lead. ULM added its final run with Johnson was hit by a pitch and took first, advanced to second a walk drawn by Buck and moved to third on an Edwards' ground out. Johnson crossed the plate after Fletcher bunted for the sacrifice.
 
Kinsey Kackley (5-3) took the loss in giving up seven earned runs and nine walks. Adrianna Chavarria pitched 2.1 innings of relief, closing the fifth inning and allowing one hit and one walk in the final two frames.
 
"We just have to be more consistent," Fichtner said. "On the positive side, we played errorless defense, but we gave up too many walks again today and then gave up a big hit. That big inning is what got us."
 
Live stats are available for Sunday's series finale and the link is located on the softball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com. First pitch for Sunday's game is at noon CT. (LINK: https://ulmwarhawks.com/sports/softball/schedule).