Sixth-seeded Louisiana-Monroe won a walk-off game and an extra-inning upset on the opening day of the Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship, earning a matchup with second-seeded South Alabama in the double-elimination round.
Warhawks Rally Twice
In the tournament’s first game, Louisiana-Monroe trailed Troy 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning. The Warhawks loaded the bases, tied the game on a sacrifice fly and won 3-2 when the go-ahead run scored on a wild pitch.
Hours later, Louisiana-Monroe upset third-seeded Georgia State in extra innings. In the top of the ninth, the Warhawks’ leadoff hitter drew a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before freshman Hollie Letorneau singled up the middle to drive in the winning run. Georgia State left 12 runners on base.
UT Arlington Earns First Tournament Win
Eighth-seeded UT Arlington recorded its first victory in the Sun Belt softball tournament, beating fifth-seeded Texas State 5-1. Texas State scored first, but the Mavericks answered immediately to tie the game and controlled the rest of the way.
UT Arlington’s run ended in the day’s final game against fourth-seeded Western Kentucky. Hilltoppers senior Emily Rousseau pitched all seven innings of a 6-1 win, allowing two hits and facing 28 batters. The lone run she allowed was unearned and scored in the sixth inning after a single through the right side of the infield.
South Alabama Opens Thursday
The tournament moves to its double-elimination format on day two. South Alabama, the No. 2 seed and the two-time defending tournament champion, faces Louisiana-Monroe in Game 5 at 2 p.m. Top-seeded Louisiana-Lafayette plays Western Kentucky in Game 6 at 5 p.m.
The winners of Games 5 and 6 will meet at 2 p.m. Friday in a game televised on ESPN3, with a spot in the championship game at stake. The losers of those games will meet in an elimination game at 11 a.m. Friday.
