MONROE, La. — In the opening game of a three-game Sun Belt series between Texas State and ULM, the Warhawks fended off a fast and furious seventh-inning rally from the visiting Bobcats to escape with a 5-4 victory Friday night.
After Texas State (20-16, 6-7) took a one-run lead in the top of the third off a
Hannah Earls run-scoring single that plated
Kylie George, ULM (19-15, 5-8) answered back with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth off a Texas State throwing error.
The following inning, the Warhawks took a commanding 5-1 lead with a four-run, four-hit bottom of the fifth that was highlighted by a Kennedy Johnson two-out, two-run home run.
Jessica Mullins (13-11) helped spark the Texas State seventh inning when she pushed her strikeout total to 10 following a pair of punch outs to end the ULM sixth. It was the sixth straight inning with at least one strikeout for the Bobcat sophomore right-handed pitcher.
Heading into the top of the seventh inning, trailing 5-1,
Caitlyn Rogers started the rally with a one-out single to left field. She advanced to second on the play on an error by ULM's Kennedy Page in left field, then scored when
Tori McCann singled up the middle during the next at bat.
Piper Randolph passed the bat down the lineup as Randolph, who pinch hit for
Samara Lagway, drew a six-pitch walk.
Kylie George added more speed on the basepaths for Texas State as she reached first via a fielder's choice that erased McCann at third.
A throwing error by the Warhawk shortstop Madelyn Fletcher when attempting to retire Earls at first loaded the bases for the Bobcats with two outs.
Looking to add more runs to the scoreboard, freshman outfielder
Ciara Trahan sent a first pitch back up the middle for a two-run single that scored both Randolph and George while advancing Earls, representing the game-tying run, into scoring position for
Sara Vanderford.
Vanderford fouled off the first two pitches from Kinsey Kackley (6-5) before watching the next two sail out of the strike zone. The junior infielder fouled off another pitch before blasting a 2-2 pitch into the 20-mile per hour winds that halted the ball's trajectory and allowed centerfielder Lourdes Bacon to sprint over to the right-centerfield gap and make a game-ending diving catch to prevent Earls and Trahan to score.
The two teams will tangle, again, at ULM Softball Complex on Saturday, April 9 at 1 p.m. CT.
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