ULM Warhawks

 
2023 ULM Softball Series Notes vs. Troy
 
SETTING THE SCENE
• Friday's game marks the 52nd meeting between ULM and Troy. The Trojans lead the all-time series, 33-18, including a 13-7 record in games played in Monroe, Louisiana. Troy has won six of the last seven meetings in the series. Last season, the Warhawks won the opening game of the series on the road, 1-0, but the Trojans captured the next two games, 9-1 and 6-4, to claim the series, 2-1. ULM's last Sun Belt Conference series win over Troy came on the road in 2017, 2-1.
 
• The ULM softball team opened its 2023 Sun Belt Conference schedule with a road series win at Georgia Southern, 2-1.
 
The Warhawks secured the series win with a doubleheader sweep in Statesboro last Friday. In Game 1, ULM got all the offense it needed in a six-run second inning and Gianni Hulett threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief for a 6-3 win over the Eagles in the conference opener. Three Warhawk pitchers – Kassidy Giddens, Adrianna Chavarria and Hulett – combined for a four-hit shutout as ULM took Game 2, 2-0.
 
Georgia Southern avoided the series sweep as Morgan Kendrick scattered five hits over seven innings and Janai Conklin broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run double in the fifth inning as the Eagles posted a 3-1 win last Saturday.
 
• Three Warhawks are batting above .290, led by Kennedy Johnson (.349; 30-of-86, 22 runs scored, 12 RBI), followed by Lourdes Bacon (.337; 34-of-101, 12 runs scored, 10 RBI) and Ashlan Ard (.293; 22-of-75, 4 home runs, 19 RBI).
 
• Kennedy Johnson leads the Warhawks four offensive categories: batting average (.349), runs scored (22), total bases (42) and on-base percentage (.398). Johnson also ranks second on the team in hits (30) and slugging percentage (.488). She has recorded eight multi-hit games.
 
• As a team, ULM leads the Sun Belt and ranks No. 11 in the NCAA Division I with its .979 fielding percentage.
 
LEAD-OFF HITS
• Lourdes Bacon leads ULM in hits (34), multi-hit games (9) and stolen bases (16). In addition, Bacon ranks second on the team in batting average (.337), runs scored (12) and on-base percentage (.380). The junior from San Antonio, Texas, is listed among the Sun Belt Conference leaders in stolen bases (third) and hits (ninth). Bacon also ranks among the NCAA Division I leaders in both categories: 28th in steals and 88th in hits. Earlier this season, she put together a team-best nine-game hitting streak (ended March 4 in Game 1 of doubleheader at Nicholls).
 
• Ashlan Ard leads the team in home runs (4), RBI (19) and slugging percentage (.533).
 
In the Sun Belt Conference-opening series at Georgia Southern, Ard had a .400 batting average (4-of-10), an .800 slugging percentage (two singles, double and home run for 8 total bases) and a .455 on-base percentage.
 
Ard, who hit safely in each of the three games, went 1-for-4 in ULM's 6-3 victory over Georgia Southern in Game 1 of last Friday's doubleheader and recorded her fifth multi-hit game of the season in Game 2, finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI single in ULM's 2-0 win over the Eagles.
 
She went 1-for-2 in the series finale against Georgia Southern, including a solo home run to left-center field that tied the score at 1-all in the fourth inning.
 
FROM THE CIRCLE
• Three pitchers – Gianni Hulett (7-3, 2.27 ERA, team-leading 39 strikeouts), Adrianna Chavarria (5-2, 2.32 ERA, 35 strikeouts) and Victoria Abrams (3-3, 3.09 ERA, 38 strikeouts) – have combined to throw 167 1/3 innings.
 
Hulett leads the Sun Belt Conference in saves (6, tied with Coastal Carolina's Nicolette Picone), strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.80; 39 strikeouts, 5 walks) and walks allowed per seven innings (0.54). She also ranks among NCAA Division I leaders in all three categories: tied for second in saves, fifth in walks allowed per seven innings and 20th in strikeout-to-walk ratio. Hulett posted five wins – all in relief – to go along with a save over a period of six appearances.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Southeastern Louisiana 4, ULM 2
Wednesday, March 22
North Oak Park | Hammond, La.
 
WP: KK Ladner (7-1); LP: Gianni Hulett (7-3)
 
Key Stats: Campbell Selman 1-3, run scored, 2B, RBI | Madison Blount 1-3 | Jacelyn Buck 1-2
Maddie Nichols 4.0 IP (matched season high), 1 unearned run, 3 hits, 3 strikeouts
 
Audrey Greely doubled in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth while KK Ladner pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief as Southeastern Louisiana rallied for a 4-2 win over ULM Wednesday night (March 22) at North Oak Park.
 
Southeastern (23-7) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Bailey Krolcyzk doubled to left-center field, off ULM starting pitcher Maddie Nichols. Krolczyk scored as Maddie Watson reached on a throwing error by the shortstop.
 
SLU starting pitcher Cera Blanchard retired the first 13 Warhawk batters in a row.
 
With one away in the top of the fifth, Madison Blount became ULM's first base runner after singling down the left-field line. Campbell Selman followed with an RBI double to straightaway center field that scored pinch runner Kassidy Giddens from first base. Following the back-to-back hits, Ladner replaced Blanchard in the circle. Selman, who advanced to third on the attempted play at the plate on Giddens, scored on a squeeze bunt by Madelyn Fletcher to give the Warhawks a 2-1 lead. Jacelyn Buck recorded ULM's third hit of the inning with a single to left center. With runners at second and third, Ladner struck out Lourdes Bacon to prevent further damage.
Nichols worked the first four innings for the Warhawks and allowed one unearned run on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Adrianna Chavarria relieved Giddens in the fifth inning and retired the first two batters before handing the ball off to Gianni Hulett, who recorded the final out of the frame on a ground ball to the second baseman.
 
The Lions rallied for three runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth. Madison Rayner took a four-pitch walk to open the inning. Pinch-runner Britt Bourgoyne advanced to third after a sacrifice bunt and groundout. Watson smashed the first pitch of her at-bat into right field for an RBI single, scoring Bourgoyne from third to tie the score at 2-all. Greely delivered an RBI double into left-center field that scored Watson as Southeastern regained the lead for good at 3-2. On the seventh pitch of her at-bat, Maddie Leal came through with the Lions' third consecutive hit, another RBI double into the gap in left center, scoring Greely from second for a 4-2 advantage.
 
Ladner, who struck out the side swinging in the top of the seventh to improve her record to 7-1 on the season, permitted only one hit over 2 2/3 innings and fanned seven of the 10 ULM batters she faced.
 
Blanchard threw 4 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on two hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
 
Gianni (7-3), who went 1 1/3 innings in relief and took the loss for ULM (18-12), surrendered three runs on three hits with one walk and no strikeouts.
 
Southeastern outhit ULM, 6-3, with Krolczyk (2-for-3) and Greely (2-for-3) combining for four hits.