HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The ULM softball team (18-10, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) scored seven runs in the final two innings and rallied back to win game two and earn a split in its conference-opening doubleheader at Southern Miss (12-13, 1-1) on Saturday (March 16) at the Southern Miss Softball Complex in Hattiesburg, Miss.

Game One - Southern Miss 6, ULM 1
Lourdes Bacon singled in the top of the third with ULM trailing 1-0. After Carys Platt advanced Bacon into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, Meagan Brown delivered a clutch two-out RBI double that scored Bacon in the top of the third inning that tied the game, 1-1. The Golden Eagles reclaimed its lead in the bottom of the third after plating a pair of runs. Kelsey Giddens contributed an infield single to start the top of the fifth, but the Warhawks were unable to score, and the game remained 3-1. The Golden Eagles added a trio of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth and took a 6-1 lead. Two ULM hitters reached base safely. in the top of the seventh, but Southern Miss stranded the runners on base and was victorious in game one, 6-1.

Maddie Nichols started in the circle for the Warhawks and finished 3.2 innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs and striking out three. Kassidy Giddens provided 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and struck out three.

Game Two - ULM 7, Southern Miss 3
Bacon walked in the game's first plate appearance, but was called for leaving first base early for the first out of the game. Southern Miss retired the final two batters of the inning. The Golden Eagles set the tone with Hannah Borden cranking a leadoff home run to left field. USM pushed the lead to 2-0 with another run in the second. With two outs and a runner on first, Bacon singled up the middle and moved on a wild pitch into scoring position with Giddens. The Golden Eagles kept ULM off the scoreboard, with USM leading 2-0 after three.

ULM roared back in the top of the sixth inning. Taylor Broddick got things started with a hit up the middle. ULM scored when Andie Edwards drove in the first run of the game for ULM with a sacrifice fly that scored Bacon. With two outs in the sixth inning and the ULM softball team trailing by one, freshman Maryssa Zenzen stepped to the plate and launched her first collegiate home run and cleared the bases for the Warhawks to take thier first lead of the day, 4-2.

Brown racked up her second RBI of the day with a hit up the middle that scored Kelsey Giddens to make the score 5-2 in favor of the Warhawks. Edwards followed with a bases-clearing double off the wall that pulled ULM ahead. Edwards stepped up to the plate and smoked a bases-clearing double to right center and gave the Warhawks more insurance runs and made the score 7-2. Borden hit her second home run of the day to start the seventh. Nichols recorded the final three outs and gave the Warhawks their first conference win.

The ULM softball team is scheduled to wrap up its conference-opening series at Southern Miss on Monday (March 18) at 3 p.m.