Kennedy Johnson delivered a two-run RBI double against Western Michigan in the 2023 season opener.
5
WESTERN MICHIGAN WMUSB 1-1
7
Winner ULM ULM 1-0
WESTERN MICHIGAN WMUSB
1-1
5
Final
7
ULM ULM
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
WESTERN MICHIGAN WMUSB 0 2 0 2 0 0 1 5 8 0
ULM ULM 2 0 0 0 4 1 X 7 5 0

W: Chavarria, Adrianna (1-0) L: MULLINS, Caitlyn (0-1) S: Hulett, Gianni (1)

Game Recap: Softball |

ULM Softball Outlasts Western Michigan in Season Opener, 7-5

MONROE, La. – ULM got a two-run single from Madelyn Fletcher in the first inning, parlayed two hits and five walks into four runs in the fifth and added an insurance run in the sixth on an RBI double from Kennedy Johnson as the Warhawks outlasted Western Michigan, 7-5, to win its season opener Friday, Feb. 10 in the final game of Day 1 in the "Best On The Bayou Classic."
 
ULM starter Victoria Abrams issued a four-pitch walk to start the game, then helped turn a double play as the second batter tapped a 1-1 pitch back to her in the circle. After Courtney Farrish doubled to right-center field, Abrams induced a ground out to third base.
 
Western Michigan starter Madysyn Lopez walked the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, and with two outs, Fletcher delivered a two-run single down the left-field line as ULM jumped out to a 2-0 lead.
 
With two away in the top of the second, Abrams walked the bases loaded. Alyssa Kramer got the Broncos on the scoreboard with an RBI single to right field that scored Carsyn Segorski. Rissa Bajusz followed with an RBI infield single back to the pitcher, scoring Taylor Wolfe from third base to tie the score at 2-2.
 
Abrams, who left the game after walking the lead-off batter in the top of the third, threw 60 pitches in two-plus innings and allowed two runs on three hits with five walks and one strikeout.
 
The Broncos, who posted a 7-2 win over Lindenwood in the first game of the "Best On The Bayou Class" Friday morning, scratched out a pair of runs off reliever Adrianna Chavarria in the top of the fourth. After retiring the lead-off hitter, Addison Hudson turned an eight-pitch at-bat into an infield single back to the circle. Kramer followed with an RBI double to right center that scored Hudson from first base and gave WMU its first lead of the game at 3-2. Bajusz came through with her second RBI single, chasing Hudson home from second base as the Broncos extended their lead to 4-2.
 
Caitlyn Mullins, who relieved Lopez in the bottom of the fourth and recorded the final two outs of the frame, ran into her own problems in the fifth inning. Lourdes Bacon reached on a bunt single, Alexis Chavez followed with an infield single to third and both runners advanced a base on Madelyn England's sacrifice bunt. Kennedy Johnson drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases, and Mullins forced in a run by walking Korie Kreps on a 3-2 delivery. Autumn Godwin came out of the Bronco bullpen to strikeout Fletcher for the second out of the inning but walked the next three Warhawks in a row (on 16 combined pitches) – Jacelyn Buck, Madison Blount and Kennedy Page – as ULM regained the lead at 6-4. Kreps scored the eventual game-winning run on Page's RBI walk.
 
The Warhawks added another run in bottom of the sixth. With one out, England reached first after Godwin threw four-straight balls. Johnson followed with an RBI double off the wall in center field, scoring England from first base, as ULM built a 7-4 lead.
 
Farrish opened the top of the seventh with some fireworks, hitting the first pitch over the wall in left-center field for a solo homer as WMU cut its deficit to 7-5. ULM's Gianni Hulett, who pitched a scoreless sixth, bounced back to strike out pinch hitter Riley Chumbley looking on a 3-2 offering. Kreps turned in the top defensive play of the night, taking away a potential extra-base hit away from Cassidy Brendtke by tracking down a line drive down the right-field line. Hulett closed out the game by striking out Segorski swinging on a 2-2 pitch.
 
Western Michigan outhit ULM, 8-5, including three extra-base hits (two doubles and a solo home run). The top three hitters in the WMU lineup – Kramer, Bajusz and Farrish – went a combined 6-of-11 from the plate with five RBI. Chavez collected two of ULM's five hits.
 
"There's a difference between offense and hitting, and offense is the ability to score when you're not hitting the ball and means taking walks," ULM head coach Molly Fichtner said. "We really needed the walks to generate offense tonight, but we've got to start hitting the ball a little bit better."
 
The WMU (12) and ULM (seven) pitchers combined for 19 walks in a marathon game that lasted nearly three hours (2:51).
 
"There's no doubt the umpire had a pretty tight strike zone, but he was calling it both ways," Fichtner said. "It was a consistent strike zone for both teams, but our pitchers simply have to adjust."
 
Chavarria (1-0), who allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in three innings of relief, picked up the win. Hulett, who surrendered a solo home run and struck out three in two innings of work, was credited with a save.
 
"Gianni has been incredible this spring," Fichtner said. "Her freshman year, she spent a lot of time closing, so she's got experience under her belt. After missing most of last year with an injury, it was fun to watch her go in and compete tonight. Gianni had a couple lefty-against-left matchups and she looked so good. We just kept her in there because she was throwing her off-speed pitches for strikes. It's exciting too because I know how much the team enjoys playing behind her too. Korie Kreps made a heck of a catch running down that line drive down the right-field line."
 
Mullins (0-1) took the loss after permitting four runs on two hits with two walks. Lopez worked 4.2 innings, threw 99 pitches and allowed three runs on three hits with seven walks.
 
Day 2 of the "Best On The Bayou Classic" features a total of four games Saturday at the ULM Softball Complex. ULM will play a pair of games on Saturday, first against Lindenwood at 3 p.m. followed by a rematch against Western Michigan at 5:30 p.m. General admission tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for youth (ages 4-12).
 
"I think we got the season-opening jitters out of the way tonight," Fichtner said. "Everybody had some butterflies going into the first game, and I just told them that as long as you get the butterflies going in the right direction, you're going to be fine. So hopefully, they'll come out and play a little bit looser tomorrow afternoon."
 
 
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