LAKE CHARLES, La. – The ULM softball team scored four runs in the seventh inning, but couldn't overcome McNeese's early lead and fell 7-5 at Joe Miller Field at Cowgirl Diamond Tuesday night. The Warhawks battled back with six of their 10 hits in the final two innings, but left five Warhawks stranded.
 
"We were two or three clutch hits from busting that game open," said ULM head coach Molly Fichtner. "That's the best we have hit the ball in a while, but we left too many runners in scoring position and had too many runners left on base. We can't show up in the first and offensively show back up in the seventh. We just have to get those clutch hits."
 
ULM scored the first run in the opening frame as Alexis Chavez singled to start the game and moved around the bases until Gabby Davila's fielder's choice brought her home. McNeese answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning with the first three Cowgirls recording hits, including two doubles, each scoring a run. A Warhawk error put runners on first and third and McNeese executed a steal of second and then a steal of home to get its third run and a 3-1 lead after the first inning.
 
The Warhawks had two hits and a walk in the sixth inning, but didn't cross the plate as a fielder's choice resulted in a putout at home. Two singles by Warhawks Kinsey Kackley and Alexis Chaves with one out in the top of the seventh, followed by two walks, finally got ULM back on the scoreboard. Kennedy Johnson's walk advanced Kelsey Giddens, who pinch-ran for Kackley, for the first run of the inning.
 
With the bases loaded and two outs, Jacelyn Buck hit a two-RBI single to drive in Kennedy Page and Chavez and reduce the deficit to three runs at 7-4. Lourdes Bacon singled on an eight-pitch full-count and a Cowgirl error allowed Johnson to score for the final 7-5 tally.
 
McNeese (17-14, 3-0 Southland) sandwiched a two-run inning in the fifth after scoring a single run in the fourth and then another run in the sixth.
 
Alexis Chavez, Kennedy Johnson and Lourdes Bacon each had two hits with Buck with a team-best two RBI off her single. The top three hitters of the Warhawks' order contributed five of the team's 10 hits.
 
Victoria Abrams (5-2) took the loss, giving up three hits and three earned runs. Adrianna Chavarria had five strikeouts in five innings pitched. Kassidy Giddens pitched the final inning and struck out one Cowgirl.
 
"For our team to come back in the seventh like that, it shows a lot of about them, the grit to do that," Fichtner said. "Of course, as a coach, you want that in innings one through seven; you don't want to wait until the seventh inning to see it."
 
The ULM softball team resumes its road schedule with a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at UT Arlington this weekend. First pitch for the Friday, April 1, game is set for 6 p.m. CT. Saturday's contest begins at 2 p.m. CT and Sunday's game has a noon CT start. This weekend's games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats are available on the schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.