CONWAY, S.C. – The ULM softball team swept its Sun Belt Conference series against Coastal Carolina with two wins in a doubleheader on Friday. The Warhawks took the first game 2-0 and finished the sweep with a 6-3 win in the second contest. For ULM, it was the first sweep of a Sun Belt opponent since 2018 when the Warhawks took three games from the Chanticleers.
 
"Our theme was the same, we had to keep our foot on the gas pedal all day," said ULM head coach Molly Fichtner. "They did a really good job finishing strong, even though it was our first time playing a doubleheader in that type of heat. Victoria (Abrams) had a heck of a performance in the first game and she and Madison Blount worked so well together to keep us in the ballgame and get a shutout like that. All our offense had to do was scratch two across.
 
"The next game, for Rocky (Adrianna Chavarria) to go in there – she had been warming up on and off all day – and I thought she did a great job coming into the game, knowing that it would be a longer day, and finishing it well."
 
Game one was scoreless for both ULM and Coastal Carolina through four innings with two of the Chanticleers' three hits coming in the first two innings. The Warhawks put their first run on the board in the fifth when Lourdes Bacon led off with a single, stole second and then advanced to third on a Coastal throwing error. Gabby Davila plated Bacon with her single on the next play for a 1-0 ULM lead.
 
In the sixth inning, Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week Kennedy Johnson hit a double and moved to third on a Jacelyn Buck single. Johnson scored on a Madelyn Fletcher sacrifice fly for the 2-0 lead and eventual final score. Victoria Abrams (7-3) pitched a three-hit shutout in game one striking out three and allowing only five baserunners.
 
In the second game, the Warhawks went to work immediately with five runs in the first two innings. Korie Kreps drew a walk, moved around the bases and scored on a Davila sacrifice fly as Davila went 3-for-5 on the day with three RBI. Makiya Thomas led off the Coastal half of the first inning with a home run to tie the game at one-all.
 
Four runs on four hits in the second inning put ULM up 5-1. Kelsey Giddens took first with a four-pitch lead-off walk and Fletcher's single to left moved Giddens into scoring position. A wild pitch advanced both Kelsey Giddens and Fletcher a base. Kennedy Page's ground out brought Kelsey Giddens into score and Fletcher to third. Alexis Chavez's bunt single put her on base and she stole second, allowing Fletcher to come home. Kreps stole third base and came home on Buck's double to left field.
 
Coastal Carolina's Maddy Jennings homered in the bottom of the second to cut into the deficit. Thomas hit her second home run of the game to bring the Chants within two runs at 5-3 in the third. The Warhawks added a final run in the seventh when Johnson singled to lead off the inning and came home on Davila's right-field double.
 
Johnson and Page each had two hits in game two with doubles coming off the bats of Kreps, Davila and Buck. Kreps scored two runs and had an RBI along with Buck and Page. Buck drew two walks and Davila had two RBI in game two.
 
Kinsey Kackley (8-5) earned her eighth win of the season and Adrianna Chavarria allowed only one earned run and four hits in five innings of relief.
 
ULM plays a single out-of-conference game at Mississippi State on Tuesday, April 20. First pitch vs. the Bulldogs is set for 5 p.m. The link for live stats will be available on the softball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.