MONROE, La. -- The ULM softball team (7-4) split its doubleheader on the second day of the Warhawk Invitational after falling to Louisiana Tech (6-0) 10-4 before defeating Lindenwood (2-7) 3-1 at the ULM Softball Complex in Monroe, La. With the win over Lindenwood, ULM softball head coach
Molly Fichtner earned her 100th career victory as a head coach.
Game One - Louisiana Tech 10, ULM 4
Victoria Abrams induced an inning-ending double play in the top of the first inning and punched out two Bulldogs in the second. The Warhawks went down in order in the first two innings of the game. With two outs in the third, Nicole Hammoude doubled to the left center field gap and two Bulldogs scored for the first runs of the game.
Jacelyn Buck walked and
Lourdes Bacon singled in the third, but the Bulldogs held ULM scoreless through three.
Louisiana Tech broke through with seven runs in the fourth inning and took a 9-0 lead. The Warhawks produced a pair of runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning.
Elle Carter started the inning with a double to right center field and
Morgan Brown followed with a hit up the middle.
Meagan Brown picked up an RBI on a groundout and
Brooklin Lippert knocked in a run with a two-out hit to make the score 9-2. After a scoreless fifth, Buck singled with the bases loaded for ULM's third run. Tech added another run in the seventh and
Meagan Brown registered a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh that scored
Carys Platt. Louisiana Tech swept the season series versus ULM with a 10-4 win in game two.
Louisiana Tech racked up 13 hits and six extra-base hits in the win. Six of the 10 runs ULM surrendered were unearned runs. Abrams struck out eight batters and completed six innings of work.
Game Two - ULM 3, Lindenwood 1
Following a 1-2-3 inning that featured a pair of strikeouts by
Maddie Nichols,
Morgan Brown crushed her third home run of the season over the left field wall to give the Warhawks an early lead. Lindenwood placed a runner at third with one out in the second. Nichols recorded a punchout and a popout and the Warhawks stayed in the lead. Buck singled to left and Carter reached on an error in the bottom of the second, but the Warhawks were unable to send any runners to the plate in the second.
After a scoreless third inning, Lindenwood tied the game in the fourth. Nichols worked around a runner in scoring position and fanned another batter to conclude the top half of the fourth inning. Nichols avoided damage in the fifth after a leadoff walk and struck out her eighth batter of the night to end the inning. After the Lions started the sixth with a single, the West Monroe, La. native forced the Lions into a double play and finished her fifth scoreless inning of work.
Lippert began the sixth inning with a hit to left field.
Morgan Brown made it back-to-back hits for the Warhawks with an infield hit to short. Her sister, Meagan, successfully advanced both runners 60 feet with a sacrifice bunt and the Warhawks had the go-ahead run at third in Lippert. On a 1-2 pitch,
Andie Edwards lifted a sacrifice fly down the right field line that scored Lippert and broke the tie. Carter stepped up and delivered an RBI hit to left field and added an insurance run for ULM. Nichols shut the door in the seventh inning and struck out her ninth Lion for the final out of the game.
The ULM softball team will wrap up the Warhawk Invitational tomorrow (Feb. 18) at noon and will play Lindenwood in the final game of the event.
