MONROE, La. – The ULM softball team held off Texas State to win 5-4 in the Sun Belt Conference series opener at the ULM Softball Complex Friday night. The Warhawks  (19-15, 5-8) scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie and take the lead and then squelched a Bobcat rally in the seventh. The victory marked the program's 1,000^th win.
 
"Kinsey Kackley's performance was a real highlight; she did an unbelievable job inning one through inning seven and she came through," said ULM head coach Molly Fichtner. "I'm really proud of Kinsey and Kelsey Giddens because you can't have a great pitching performance without a catcher back there. We didn't hit as well as we can, but we had way more production than we have had in a long time. We continued innings, scored runs and had big-time clutch hits."
 
Kinsey Kackley (6-5) pitched the complete game to earn the win, allowing only one hit through six innings. She struck out six and gave up three earned runs, and offensively, had a hit in the key fifth inning.
 
Singles by Madelyn Fletcher and Kackley in the fifth inning allowed Kennedy Page's sacrifice bunt to advance runners to second and third. Alexis Chavez smacked a two-RBI double through the right side to score Fletcher and pinch runner Caley McGuff. After Chavez moved to third on Korie Kreps' sacrifice bunt, Kennedy Johnson hit a two-run homer just over the wall in center to put the Warhawks up 5-4 at the end of five.
 
Both teams went three-up, three-down in the sixth, but Texas State (20-16, 6-7) sent eight batters up in the top of the seventh and had the bases loaded with only one out. After a lead-off strikeout, Texas State's Caitlyn Rogers hit a chopper over the head of the third baseman into left field. A ULM error allowed Rogers to move to second and she scored when Tori McCann's blooper single dropped into the outfield and she avoided the tag at the plate to cut into the deficit at 5-2.
 
The bases were loaded with Bobcats with two outs after a walk, fielder's choice and throwing error set the stage as the tying run came to the plate. Ciara Trahan hit a first-pitch, two-RBI single up the middle to plate two runs and pull the Bobcats within one at 5-4. Centerfielder Lourdes Bacon made a highlight-reel catch for the final out to secure the win for the Warhawks.
 
Texas State got on the board in the third after Hannah Earls' single brought Kylie George across for a 1-0 lead. George reached first on a fielder's choice, stole second and scored on the Bobcats' only hit of the first six innings.
 
ULM's first hit came in the bottom of the fourth inning off the bat of Johnson with her single that dropped into left field. Chavez led off the inning and took first after being hit by a pitch. Korie Kreps moved Chavez to second with her sacrifice bunt. Chavez scored after the Bobcats attempted to catch Johnson in a rundown, but instead botched the throw back to the pitcher. Chavez avoided the catcher's tag and tied the game at one-all.
 
Jessica Mullins (13-11) took the loss after keeping the Warhawks hitless through three innings before the Warhawks scored in the fourth and fifth. She struck out 10.
 
ULM and Texas State continue the Sun Belt Conference series with a 1 p.m. CT game Saturday. Sunday's finale is set for noon CT. The links for live stats will be available on the softball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.