After an 11-inning loss to Louisiana Tech on Feb. 19, the Warhawks came home with the intent to win. The team struggled in the Twisted Vines Bayou Bash, with an overall score of 1-4, but quickly recovered for the FGCU Invitational with five perfect games—the last only being five innings. Now competing on their own turf, the softball team once again blows everyone else out of the water.
Feb. 20 – University of Northern Iowa (2-1)
The first tournament game began with an uneventful first inning; Ashanti McDade struck out three after walking UNI’s first batter in the top. Carys Platt walked to first base and advanced to second before the third out of the inning.
The top of the second saw more aggressive plays by UNI, as batter Katelyn Callahan scored from second base after doubling. Good pitching by McDade struck out the last two necessary to end the inning, though UNI turned it around, pitching defensively to close out the bottom half.
A foul started the top of the third, followed quickly by another strikeout. The Warhawks walked a batter, but with a runner on first and two outs, UNI had no follow through. In the bottom of the third, a hit from Carys Platt allowed Brooklyn Lippert to score from second base, tying the game. The inning ended with one run on two hits for ULM.
Stellar defense and offense by both teams held the tie until the bottom of the sixth, where Kailey Monsef scored from third. The Warhawks kept two on bases as the next batters struck out swinging.
UNI could not get on base during the seventh, ending the game 2-1, ULM.
Feb. 21 – Arkansas Pine-Bluff (6-0)
An almost perfect game by ULM gave UAPB no hits up to the seventh inning.
Morgan Brown scored one run in the bottom of the second, holding that lead until the bottom of the sixth. Maryssa Zenzen homered to right field with Hollie Thomas on second, leading by three runs.
While three runs would have been enough to win the game, neither Morgan Brown nor Dally Engle wanted to risk it as they both homered back to-back. Assumably thrown off by three runs, UAPB walked Lippert, who stole second and eventually scored. Unable to compete, UAPB left the field with a six-run deficit.
Feb. 21 – Lamar (12-4)
The Warhawks continued the evening pumped up and ready to win, starting the top of the first with three strikeouts. Monsef walked and advanced to second on a single from Platt; Monsef then scored from second, leaving Platt on third and Meagan Brown on second. Platt and Brown scored on a hit from Thomas, who advanced to second, but was left on base after three strikeouts.
Lamar attempted to lock in some runs, with batter Cala Wilson running home from first with a double from Makenzie Wright. However, a hit to second base by Lamar’s Kalie Amos led ULM into a double play, outing a batter at second and first.
Carson Jansky scored after doubling, raising the gap to three runs. Brown singled to center field, allowing Jenkins and Platt to bring the lead to five runs.
Lamar struggled through their batting half once again; in the bottom of the third, Elle Carter scored from first due to Zenzen’s double.
A homer by Lamar put them back in the game in the top of the fourth, but ULM matched the run after a walk on loaded bases.
Another batter scored from first base for Lamar, but that traction died out after another strikeout.
Meagan Brown doubled with Platt on first; a fielding error by Lamar gifted Platt the run and Brown third base. She quickly scored after Thomas sacrificed to right field.
Batting for Lamar, Isabella Flores homered to bring the gap down to six, but little follow through by her team ending the top of the sixth soon after. For ULM, with two runners on base, a double from Kennan Nunamaker allowed Reece Briggs and Jenkins to score and bring the game to a 6-inning end.
Feb. 22 – Lamar (7-3)
ULM met Lamar back on the field to pick up what yesterday left off. An uneventful first inning led to Lamar scoring from second base with two outs in the second. ULM picked up the pace with Zenzen doubling to left field; Morgan Brown and Carter scored from second and first respectively. After advancing to third, Zenzen scored, but that would end the scoring for the second inning.
Lamar’s Cimaralei Wessling advanced to third base after hitting a double but was out at home in a double play to end the top of the third. Thomas homered to left field to start the bottom half, but that would end the scoring for both teams until the bottom of the fifth.
Thomas singled and, after advancing to third, scored on Carter’s bunt. Lamar struggled to get on bases as ULM raised the score gap higher and higher.
A single from Meagan Brown allowed Jenkins and Monsef to score, and with no crazy plays from Lamar, ended the game 7-3.
Feb. 22 – Arkansas Pine-Bluff (8-0)
As if winning once was not enough, the Warhawks saw the Golden Lions on the field for the last game of the tournament—and what a closer it was.
Scoreless until the bottom of the second, ULM’s Morgan Brown stole home after a failed attempt at a double play from UAPB, who struck out Jansky at second.
In the bottom of the third, Platt made her way around the bases once again, scoring from first and Meagan Brown scoring from second on a double from Thomas. Zenzen followed, advancing to second after allowing Thomas to score from second. Zenzen scored from second right after. UAPB sent Morgan Brown home after walking two batters back-to-back.
Down by six runs at the top of the fourth, not much could be done for the Golden Lions. UAPB’s Lyric Perry walked to first, but that was as close as the team would get to home plate (other than striking out, of course.)
In the bottom of the fourth, Meagan Brown reached second base on a play and fielding error, then advancing to third on a passed ball. She scored on Cecilia Gonzales’ single, who later got out at third. Morgan Brown scored from second after stealing. Olivia Faggard was caught at third attempting to steal, but no one worried about the score. With ULM 8-0 by the fourth inning, the Warhawks kept pitching strikes and outed the last Golden Lion at first base to end the tournament.
