MONROE, La. – The ULM softball team (23-18) fell 4-1 to South Alabama in Friday's series opener at the ULM Softball Complex. The Jaguars scored two runs in the first inning and added two more on three hits in the fifth inning for the final.  The Warhawks were held to five hits, all singles.

"We had opportunities tonight, but we stranded too many, and we were just looking for that big hit to get momentum," said ULM head coach Molly Fichtner. "We made some really big double plays and some huge plays that went in our favor defensively. Kassidy Giddens came in and did a really good job keeping the score the same to end the game, but we just have to have a little bit better starting pitching in the circle and we have to have more clutch hitting to compete with a team like that."
 
South Alabama (18-17, 10-4) took advantage of five walks in the first inning to plate two runs for a 2-0 lead. Jaguar Meredith Keel led off the fifth inning with a solo home run to put USA up 3-0. Lead-off batter Caroline Nichols singled up the middle, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on the third hit of the inning, a Victoria Ortiz single.
 
The Jaguars issued one walk and freshman outfielder Lourdes Bacon and first baseman Kennedy Johnson capitalized on the opportunity in the third inning. Bacon walked, then preceded to steal second base and came home on Johnson's full-count single. ULM left a Warhawk stranded in each of the first five innings.
 
Bacon, Johnson, Alexis Chavez, Andie Edwards and Gabby Davila each had single hits Friday night. With Chavez's single, she extended her hitting streak to 13 games, tying Bacon for the longest streak this season.
 
South Alabama's Olivia Lackie (10-6) dropped her ERA to 2.19 with the win, the fourth-lowest average in the league. Kinsey Kackley (8-6) took the loss after the Jaguars scored two runs and drew five walks in the first inning. Adrianna Chavarria pitched 4.1 innings in relief and Kassidy Giddens had the final two frames.
 
ULM's series with South Alabama resumes Saturday at 1 p.m. CT at the ULM Softball Complex. The link for live stats will be available on the softball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.