Alexis Cacioppo hit a two-run walk-off home run to give ULM a 3-2 victory over Central Arkansas on Wednesday at the ULM Softball Complex.
After falling behind to the Bears (31-17) in the seventh, Haley McCall started off the rally in the bottom of the inning with a bloop single to shallow right field. Cacioppo stepped up to the plate and put the ball deep over the right field wall to give the Warhawks (19-27) the victory.
“When I come up in those types of situations, I just tell myself to focus on a base hit,” Cacioppo said.
ULM shook off a slow start in the bottom of the third inning when Kayla Boening led off with an infield single. She was followed by an out on a fielder’s choice and a strikeout looking. The Warhawks couldn’t move a runner past first base in the inning.
Central Arkansas countered in the top of the fourth inning with its first base runner of the game, but they were also unable to advance past first. ULM closed out the fourth inning by getting on the scoreboard with Cacioppo’s first homer of the game.
The Bears scored their first run of the game in the top of the sixth inning when Sarah Bigej’s infield single brought in Sam Forrest. Central Arkansas scored again in the top of the seventh inning to take a 2-1 lead and set the stage for Cacioppo.
Cacioppo took the offense into her own hands for the Warhawks, finishing with two home runs and three RBI’s.
“It’s something about these benefit games. It makes you want to play at a different level,” Cacioppo said. “I just went out there and did the best I could.”
The game was the inaugural “teal-out” game as ULM wore teal jerseys to show support for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Willie and Korie Robertson, stars of the hit television series “Duck Dynasty,” were in attendance.
“To have [them] here was just awesome. It ignited Central Arkansas and our girls as well,” head coach Rosemary Holloway-Hill said.
Stephanie Routzon went all seven innings for the Warhawks, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with four strikeouts.
ULM returns to action on Saturday, May 4 to begin a three-game series with rival Louisiana-Lafayette.
