RUSTON, La. – The ULM softball team (2-6) defeated tournament host Louisiana Tech (3-5) in extra innings on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 15). After falling behind early, the Warhawks were able to tie it and send it to extra innings, taking the lead in the eighth.
An early 2-0 lead for the Bulldogs off a single and a double put the Warhawks in a first inning deficit. Another run tacked on in the second got Louisiana Tech to a solid 3-0 lead to enter the third inning. In the top of the third, however, ULM got hot, with
Morgan Brown sending a homer to right field, scoring
Meagan Brown and
Brooklin Lippert to tie it up, 3-3.
Another double and single by the Bulldogs put them back ahead by three runs, finishing the third inning with a 6-3 lead. Two more runs scored in the fourth gave ULM the five-run deficit at the start of the fifth inning.
The lead held until the seventh, when a home run from pinch hitter
Reece Briggs turned the tide for ULM. This was Briggs' first homer as a Warhawk. A double by each of the Brown sisters scored three runs, bringing it to an 8-7 score. To close out the top of the seventh,
Hollie Thomas tallied a single, scoring
Morgan Brown to tie it up yet again for the Warhawks. A three-up, three-down inning for Louisiana Tech sent the game to extra innings, tied 8-8.
Another hit for
Morgan Brown in the eighth inning scored
Carys Platt, Brown's sixth RBI of the day. With a one-run lead, the Warhawks entered the bottom of the eighth. With two outs remaining, Louisiana Tech's Alannah Rogers hit what looked to be the tying run. But a toss to Thomas at home plate got Rogers out to secure the comeback for ULM, 9-8.
Both Brown sisters led the team with three hits apiece, with
Meagan Brown picking up an RBI and scoring two runs.
Morgan Brown recorded six RBIs and scored two runs in the win as well. Lippert scored two runs on two hits and a walk and
Maryssa Zenzen picked up her first double of the season.
Dakota Lake is credited with the win, pitching five innings, with one walk, no runs and five hits. Lake also tallied a strikeout in the win.
The Warhawks will continue with the Louisiana Tech Classic this weekend, facing the Arkansas Razorbacks for the second time to close out the weekend on Sunday (Feb. 16) at 1 p.m.
