The Warhawks softball team earned a 1-0 win against I-20 foe Louisiana Tech Wednesday night at the ULM softball complex. This brought the Warhawks overall record to 26-15.

Head coach Corey Lyon talked about the importance of the game.

“It’s a game of who is going to make a mistake,” coach Lyon said. “In this game tonight, you’ve got their number one against our number one. You know it’s going to be a low scoring game.”

The game was an intense battle between pitchers and defenses, but ULM would prove to be too much behind the arm of Melanie Coyne.

She threw five strikeouts on her way to earn her 15th win of the season. Coyne talked about the setting of the match after the game.

“It’s such a calm atmosphere to pitch in,” Coyne said. “I’m so thankful to be blessed with all these girls.”

Despite no runs being scored in the first inning, Coyne showed her diverse playmaking by tallying Tech outs in just about every way possible.

The La. Tech Bulldogs had three batters get three consecutive outs by strikeout, infield ground out and a pop fly. ULM’s offense was also three up and three down to retire the first inning.

The second inning would be the difference maker in this one after ULM’s defense kept La. Tech quiet.

The Warhawk bats returned to home plate for their second attempt to put runs on the board. Coyne hit a pop fly to center field, and she made it to base off a Bulldog error. That brought up Hunter Hogan who would single to left field.

This put the Warhawks in scoring position.With runners on first and second base, freshman Jessie Watts ripped one into the outfield for a RBI, the only run of the game. The Warhawks ended the second inning leaving two runners on base but also with the lead.

Things were relatively quiet until the fourth inning when the Bulldogs had a runner on first base who tried to steal second. An outstanding throw was made from ULM catcher Samantha Agamaite which kept La Tech out of scoring position.

The game became quiet again as two innings went by with outstanding pitching and fielding.

The seventh inning forced the Bulldogs to try for a score. Coyne, looking tired in the circle, walked the first two Bulldog batters. A sacrifice bunt gave the Bulldogs runners on second and third with only one out.

It was looking grim for the Warhawks, but Coyne led her team out of trouble. She got her fifth and most critical strikeout and her defense did the rest. The next batter would go on to hit a pop fly and seal the game for the Warhawks.

The Warhawks go on the road for a series against Troy and a couple of individual outings against Southeastern Louisiana and the University of Arkansas before returning home. They return home on April 22nd for a weekend series against South Alabama.