Kassidy Giddens recorded five strikeouts in ULM's 2-1 win over Lindenwood Saturday.
Dezmond Jackson
1
LINDENWOOD LWU 0-4
2
Winner ULM ULM 2-0
LINDENWOOD LWU
0-4
1
Final
2
ULM ULM
2-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
LINDENWOOD LWU 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 6 1
ULM ULM 0 0 1 0 1 0 X 2 4 0

W: Giddens, Kassidy (1-0) L: Avery Wapp (0-1) S: Hulett, Gianni (2)

4
Winner WESTERN MICHIGAN WMUSB 3-1
3
ULM ULM 2-1
Winner
WESTERN MICHIGAN WMUSB
3-1
4
Final
3
ULM ULM
2-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
WESTERN MICHIGAN WMUSB 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 1
ULM ULM 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 6 0

W: GODWIN, Autumn (2-0) L: Kackley, Kinsey (0-1)

Game Recap: Softball |

ULM Softball Earns Split Saturday at ‘Best On The Bayou Classic’

MONROE, La. – The ULM softball split a pair of games Saturday on Day 2 of the "Best On The Bayou Classic," winning the opening game over Lindenwood, 2-1, behind the combined pitching effort of Kassidy Giddens and Gianni Hulett while falling short in its comeback bid against Western Michigan, 4-3, despite Madelyn Fletcher's three-run homer in the fourth inning.
 
The Warhawks will complete their "Classic" schedule with a Sunday doubleheader against HCU at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the ULM Softball Complex. General admission tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for youth (ages 4-12).
 
Game 1 Recap: ULM 2, Lindenwood 1
Kassidy Giddens allowed just one run in 5 1/3 innings, Alexis Chavez drove in two runs and Gianni Hulett came out of the bullpen to record the final five outs as ULM opened Day 2 of the "Best On The Bayou Classic" with a 2-1 victory over Lindenwood.
 
"Kass had a great start on the mound for us and Gianni came in and finished it," ULM head coach Molly Fichtner said. "I was very proud of their performance in Game 1. The defense was lights out again, so I am very pleased with that facet of our game right now."
 
In her first start of the 2023 season, Giddens (1-0) surrendered six hits and one walk while recording five strikeouts. She retired nine batters in a row during one stretch, including three strikeouts.
 
Lindenwood starter Avery Wapp (0-1) nearly matched Giddens' effort, permitting two runs on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in six innings. Wapp retired seven of the first eight Warhawks she faced, with only Kennedy Johnson reaching on a lead-off single to right field in the bottom of the second.
 
With one out in the bottom of the third, Andie Edwards drew a seven-pitch walk from Wapp, stole second base and advanced to third on a groundout. Chavez chased Edwards home with an RBI single as ULM took a 1-0 lead.
 
The Warhawks utilized a similar offensive script in the bottom of the fifth. With one away, Edwards picked up a five-pitch walk and advance to second on a bunt. Chavez drove in her second run of the game with an RBI double to left center, scoring Edwards.
 
Lindenwood scratched out a run in the top of the sixth to cut its deficit to 2-1. With runners at first and second with one out, Lauren Pelton doubled to center field, scoring Mya Bethany and sending Irelynn West to third. Hulett entered the game and got the next two hitters on groundouts back to the circle.
 
Hulett retired the Lions in order in the seventh to record her second consecutive save.
 
Chavez (2-for-3) and Johnson (2-for-3) accounted for ULM's four hits, and Edwards, who drew both of Wapp's walks, scored twice.
 
"Lex is an extremely even-keeled hitter," Fichtner said. "She does such a great job for us in the top of the lineup.
 
"Andie Edwards played a big role in Game 1 by rolling over the lineup to bring up the top of the order, so we could score her."
 
Lindenwood outhit the Warhawks, 6-4, with the first four hitters in the Lions' lineup going a combined 5-for-11. Pelton collected two hits and drove in the visitor's only run.    
 
Game 2: Western Michigan 4, ULM 3
Courtney Farrish blasted a three-run homer in the first inning and Rissa Bajusz added a solo home run in the second as Western Michigan held on for a 4-3 win over ULM to close out Day 2 of "The Best On The Bayou Classic."
 
ULM starter Kinsey Kackley (0-1) struggled out of the gate, retiring only one of the six batters she faced. Alyssa Kramer drove Kackley's first pitch of the game off the center-field wall for a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After a five-pitch walk, Farrish deposited the first pitch over the left-field wall to give the Broncos an early 3-0 lead. It marked her second home run in as many days against the Warhawks. Farrish hit a solo homer in the seventh in Friday's 7-5 loss to ULM.
 
After issuing back-to-back walks, Kackley exited the game, giving way to Adrianna Chavarria, who recorded consecutive swinging strikeouts to strand the two baserunners.
 
With two outs in the top of the second, Bajusz extended WMU's lead to 4-0 on a home run to center field.
 
ULM had only two baserunners through the first three innings, with Alexis Chavez drawing a two-out walk in the first and Ashlan Ard doubling to right-center field to leadoff the second.
 
With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Kennedy Johnson singled up the middle and Ard reached on an infield single to shortstop. Madelyn Fletcher greeted WMU reliever Madysyn Lopez with a three-run homer to left-center field as the Warhawks closed the gap to 4-3.
 
ULM left the bases loaded in the fifth and got a one-out single from Jacelyn Buck in the sixth but failed to score.
 
"Western Michigan jumped right on Kinsey," ULM head coach Molly Fichtner said. "We had multiple opportunities to chip away and add more runs but couldn't get that big hit to take the lead. Fletcher had a clutch three-run homer to pull us within one.
 
"When you're down by four, you want to always chip away each inning, and unfortunately, we only scored in one inning. However, we had the winning runs on base multiple times. We need to have a better outing on the mound and hit the ball harder."
 
Autumn Godwin improved to 2-0 on the season, working 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief while allowing only two hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Godwin retired the Warhawks in order in the bottom of the seventh.
 
ULM's Gianni Hulett continued her fine work out of the bullpen, pitching five scoreless innings while surrendering only one hit with no walks and two strikeouts.
 
"I can't say enough about Gianni's performances in the circle," Fichtner said. "She's been lights out."
 
Alexis Chavez went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs in ULM's 2-1 victory over Lindenwood Saturday.

 
 
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