ULM drops Sun Belt Softball semifinal to Coastal Carolina in extra innings, 4-2

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Chelsea D’Avilar drove in the game-winning run with a squeeze bunt and Ashley Guillette allowed one earned run and four hits over nine innings as No. 6-seed Coastal Carolina outlasted No. 8-seed ULM, 4-2, in the Sun Belt Softball Championship semifinal on Saturday, May 11.

ULM (14-42) squandered a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the first as the first three batters reached, thanks to a hit by pitch and back-to-back walks from Guillette. With the bases loaded, Jessie Watts lined into a double play and Brie Wrobel flied out to center.

“It was unfortunate we couldn’t take advantage of the scoring opportunity in the first inning,” first-year ULM head coach Molly Fichtner said. “Jessie hit the ball right on the nose to the second baseman, who was perfectly placed. If that ball is hit 3 feet in either direction, it clears the bases. Jessie had a quality at-bat.”

Coastal Carolina’s Abbey Montoya worked a seven-pitch at-bat into a leadoff walk in the top of the second. With one out, D’Avilar singled to left field, and Sydney Guess followed with an RBI single to right center as the Chanticleers took a 1-0 lead.

Kassidy Smith opened the top of the third with a double down the left-field line, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Alexis Alvino and scored on Natalie David’s RBI groundout to shortstop as CCU built a 2-0 advantage.

The Warhawks answered in the bottom of the third as Sydney McKay led off the frame with a triple down the left-field line. Two batters later, McKay scored on Jayden Mount’s squeeze bunt as ULM cut its deficit to 2-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, ULM got a one-out single to left field from Bailey Thibodeaux. Pinch runner Victoria Pederson stole second and Kennedy Page reached base after being hit by a pitch. With Megan Shaw at the plate, Pederson and Page executed a double steal and CCU catcher Mackenzie Beyer threw the ball into left field, and Pederson was awarded home plate on fielding obstruction by Beyer to tie the score at 2-2.

Coastal Carolina (39-20) threatened to regain the lead in the top of the sixth. Adrienne Visintine reached on an infield single to the pitcher to open the frame. ULM starting pitcher Adrianna Chavarria left the game after tweaking her knee while attempting to the make the play on Visintine’s hit. D’Avilar greeted Watts, who replaced Chavarria in the circle, with a single through the right side. With one out, Beyer walked to load the bases for the Chanticleers, but Watts worked out of the jam as Stavi Augur lined out to second base and Smith flied out to right.

Watts also stranded three base runners in the top of the eighth. With two outs, Beyer drew a four-pitch walk, Augur singled down the left-field line and Smith reached on another walk. The scoring threat ended as Alvino grounded to shortstop for a force out at second base.

With one away in the top of the ninth, Montoya reached on an infield single to third and Visintine followed with a double to left center. Montoya scored the go-ahead run on D’Avilar’s squeeze bunt, and Coastal Carolina added an insurance run as a sacrifice fly from Guess scored Visintine from third.

Guillette (16-7) pitched around Page’s two-out double down the left-field line in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win, sending the Chanticleers to the Championship Game against ULL. She allowed two runs, only one earned, on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts over nine innings. Guillette retired 17 of the last 19 batters she faced, permitting only a walk and a double down the stretch.

“Coastal’s starting pitcher struggled with her changeup early in the game and issued some walks, but we couldn’t string together hits,” Fichtner said. “She became much more effective later in the game when she began throwing her changeup for strikes.”

Watts (3-8), who went the final four innings and allowed two runs on four hits with four walks and a strikeout, took the loss for ULM. Chavarria worked five-plus innings and surrendered two runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

“(Adrianna Chavarria) Rocky was unbelievable throughout this tournament,” Fichtner said. “She was really locked in. Despite the number of innings she pitched, Rocky never appeared to become tired. Unfortunately, we had to take her out in the sixth inning after she tweaked her knee, but those things happen.”

Both Chavarria (3-0, 0.97 ERA, 16 strikeouts) and Mount (4-for-15, 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI) were named to the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team.

The No. 8-seed Warhawks fell one win short of advancing to the Sun Belt Championship Game for the first time since 2008.

“This was a season full of experiences,” Fichtner said. “Our kids got a taste of everything, from heartbreak to success. We got our butts kicked, and at times, we kicked butt. This season was a good learning experience for our returning players.”