Ashlan Ard went 2-for-4, including a two-run homer in the ninth inning, to lead ULM past LA Tech, 3-1, on March 7, 2023.
Dezmond Jackson
3
Winner ULM ULM 15-8
1
Louisiana Tech TECH 14-6
Winner
ULM ULM
15-8
3
Final
1
Louisiana Tech TECH
14-6
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
ULM ULM 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 3 7 2
Louisiana Tech TECH 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 1

W: Hulett, Gianni (6-1) L: FLOYD, Allie (2-2)

Game Recap: Softball |

Ard Goes Yard; ULM Wrecks Tech in Extra Innings, 3-1

RUSTON, La. – Victoria Abrams and Gianni Hulett combined for a four-hitter and Ashlan Ard delivered a two-run homer in the ninth as ULM defeated Louisiana Tech, 3-1, in nine innings Tuesday night. The Warhawks have won two in a row over their I-20 rival and four of the last five meetings in the series.
 
ULM also snapped the Lady Techsters' five-game winning streak.
 
Allie Floyd, who made her first start in the circle for LA Tech since Feb. 26 at South Alabama, gave up a lead-off double to Lourdes Bacon, then responded by retiring the next 11 Warhawk batters in a row. ULM's next hit came with two outs in the top of the fourth when Ard single to right field.
 
After surrendering a lead-off infield single to shortstop by Sierra Sacco in the bottom of the first, Abrams retired 11 consecutive Lady Techsters before Brooke Diaz came through with a two-out double to right-center field in the bottom of the fourth.
 
"This was definitely a pitchers' duel through and through," ULM head coach Molly Fichtner said. "There weren't a lot of hits tonight. The hits were hard to come by, so when you get them, you had to score.
 
"We did a good job of scratching out a run in the fifth inning, but Tech came back with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. Then, we found a way to get it done in the ninth. Kennedy Page started it out with a great infield single, and then, we decided not ask Ashlan Ard to bunt but instead to hit away, and it paid off with her providing a two-run homer."
 
With one out in the top of the fifth, Campbell Selman sent a 3-2 pitch from Floyd into right-center field for a double. Jacelyn Buck followed with a single up the middle that advanced Selman to third base. Alexis Chavez gave ULM (15-8) a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly to left field that Kate Cooper caught in foul territory, allowing Selman to score the first run of the game.
 
LA Tech (14-6) threatened to score in the bottom half of the fifth. With one out, Jordyn Manning reached on an error by the third baseman and advanced to second when Bailey Wright was hit by a pitch. With two runners aboard, Hulett relieved Abrams and got Alyssa Dean to fly out to center field. After issuing a seven-pitch walk to Sacco to load the bases, Hulett retired Caroline Easom on a fly ball to center field.
 
The Lady Techsters tied the score at 1-all with one away in the bottom of the sixth inning as Diaz homered to left-center field.
 
LA Tech had a golden opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the seventh. With an 0-2 count, Manning opened the frame with a single down the left-field line. While attempting a sacrifice bunt, Wright reached second base on a throwing error by the catcher with pinch-runner Jina Baffuto advancing all the way to third. Next, Dean lifted a fly ball into short right field that resulted in a double play as Madelyn England made the catch and fired a perfect strike to Madison Blount at home plate, who tagged out Baffuto attempting to score the game-winning run from third base. With two outs and Wright on third, Sacco lined out to center field, sending the game into extra innings still tied at 1-all.
 
"That was a huge momentum-changing defensive play," Fichtner said. "Tech had runners at first and third with one out in the bottom of the seventh. The next batter hit a fly ball into short right field; Madelyn England came in to make the catch and threw a strike to home plate to cut down the runner trying to score from third base to complete the double play. England was an infielder all fall and a lot of the spring, but she came through with a great throw to prevent the potential game-winning run from scoring from third. That was a big deal."
 
After permitting back-to-back hits in the fifth, Floyd recorded nine consecutive outs until Chavez reached on an infield single to shortstop with one away in the eighth.
 
Kennedy Page led off the top of the ninth with an infield single and Ard followed with a two-run blast over the wall in left-center field as ULM seized a 3-1 lead.
 
Hulett, who improved her record to 6-1 on the season, threw 4 2/3 innings and allowed one run on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts. She retired the last eight Lady Techsters in a row, including three strikeouts.
 
Hulett has played a key role in each of ULM's last six victories, picking up five wins and a save during that stretch.
 
Abrams, who earned her team-leading 10th start of the season, pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed just two hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
 
Allie (2-2), who went the distance and took the loss for LA Tech, permitted three earned runs on seven hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
 
With Tuesday night's win, the Warhawks improved to 14-2 on the season when scoring three or more runs.
 
ULM outhit LA Tech, 7-4. Ard, who posted her third multi-hit game of the season, finished 2-for-4, including her team-leading third home run of the season. Diaz went 2-for-4 to account for half of Tech's hits, including a double and her third career home run against the Warhawks.
 
After playing four consecutive road games, the Warhawks return home to the ULM Softball Complex for a three-game weekend series against McNeese (13-7), beginning with a single game on Friday, March 10 at 6 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, March 11 at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
 
General admission tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for youth (ages 4-12) and may be purchased at the arched entrance to the ULM Softball Complex.  
 
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