Freshman Meagan Brown racked up a trio of hits including a home run and a double while Andie Edwards launched another home run as the ULM softball team (20-14, 3-4 Sun Belt) posted a season-high run total in its 16-8 run-rule win over Marshall (17-16, 3-4) in game one of the series from Dot Hicks Field.
Brown was one of five Warhawks who finished with multiple hits in the game and reached base all five of her plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with five RBIs, a home run, a double and a pair of walks. All three of her hits came with two outs. Andie Edwards smashed her second home run of the season and led the Warhawks with six RBIs in her two-hit game. Lourdes Bacon and Carys Platt both racked up a pair of hits each and scored a trio of runs apiece. Freshman shortstop Elle Carter recorded her seventh multi-hit game of the season and has collected multiple hits in her last three games for ULM. Maddie Nichols drove in a run on an RBI hit while Brooklin Lippert and Layla Thompson also contributed knocks to ULM's 14 base hit total in game one of the series.
In the circle, Nichols completed 4.1 innings and punched out a trio of hitters. Gianni Hulett tossed 1.2 innings and struck out one batter while allowing just one earned run.
With two outs in the first, Edwards reached on an error and stole second base. Brown looped a hit in between the Marshall shortstop and left fielder that scored Edwards for the game's first run. The Thundering Herd responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the first. After a scoreless second inning, Brown stepped up to the plate with two outs and a runner at second and blasted a two-run home run over the center field wall and put the Warhawks back in front, 3-1.
ULM padded its lead in the fourth when Nichols singled up the middle to score Lippert. Edwards walked with the bases loaded and Carter crossed home plate to increase ULM's advantage to 5-1. Brown delivered her third two-out hit of the day that scored Bacon and Platt and completed a four-run inning for the Warhawks. ULM's lead continued to rise in the fifth when Bacon drove in Thompson on an RBI single followed by a two-RBI knock by Edwards. A Marshall error added two more runs to ULM's total, and the Warhawks held a commanding 12-1 lead after the top of the fifth. Marshall answered with a six-run bottom half of the fifth and trimmed the Warhawks' lead to five.
ULM's offense continued to roll in the top of the sixth. Platt placed a perfect bunt down the line and singled home Madison Blount with two outs. Edwards belted her second home run of the season with two runners on to pull the Warhawks above the run-rule margin. Marshall scored one in the sixth before Bacon threw out a base runner at third to end the game and seal the Warhawks' huge victory in the series opener.
Game two of the series between ULM and Marshall will take place tomorrow (March 29) in Huntington at 4 p.m. CT.
