Courtesy of Staff Reports/LA Tech Athletic Communications
The Louisiana Tech softball team won its series over CUSA foe Jacksonville State this weekend while the Bulldog baseball team dropped all three games of a non-conference series at Arizona.
Softball
After falling 8-7 in Friday night’s opener, Tech (26-12, 9-6) rebounded with a 4-2 win on Saturday and an 8-3 series clinching victory on Sunday afternoon at Jana McGinnis Field.
“It is going to take fight the rest of the season,” said Tech head coach Josh Taylor. “(Sunday) was the first time in a few weeks that we were complete with our pitching, defense and hitting. The quality of our at-bats were improved. It is a good step forward heading into next week. Any time we can win on Sunday is a good thing especially when we can win two in a row. Being able to take a series is great to carry into next weekend when we finally get to come back home.”
In Friday night’s loss, a 5-run fifth inning by the Gamecocks (18-24, 7-8) was too much to overcome for the Bulldogs.
Tech trailed 8-4 heading into its final at bat and the Bulldogs plated three runs — all coming with two outs. But with the tying run on second and the go-ahead run on first, the final out was recorded and the Bulldogs fell in the series opener.
Brooke Diaz (3-4), Aubree Seaney (2-4, 2 RBI), Alexis Gilio (2-3, RBI) and Alannah Rogers (2-5) all recorded multi-hit games for the Bulldogs in the loss.
In Saturday’s Game 2 win, Tech used a 3-run home run by Kylie Neel in the top of the fifth to break open a 1-1 game and eventually pick up the victory.
Neel was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored while Caroline Easom added an RBI single.
Mattison Buster (2.0 IP, 1 run), Brook Melnychuk (2.1 IP, 1 run) and Allie Floyd (2.2 IP, 0 runs) combined to allow just four hits. Melnychuk earned the win while Floyd picked up the save.
Alexis Gilio made the game-saving defensive play in the bottom of the seventh, going over the wall to take away what would have been the game-tying 2-run home run.
On Sunday, Neel drove in four runs with a 2-run home run, a sacrifice fly and an RBI triple as the Bulldogs never trailed in the game. Gilio (2-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs), Rogers (2-4, run), Neel (2-3, 2 runs, 4 RBI), and Claire Raley (1-4, 2 runs) combined to register seven of the 10 hits and score seven of the eight runs in the win.
Melnychuk picked up her second win in as many days, tossing 4.0 IP and allowing three runs. Lauren Menzina (2.0 IP, 0 runs) and Emma Hutchinson (1.0 IP, 0 runs) tossed three scoreless innings in relief.
Tech will face Ole Miss Tuesday in Oxford in a 3 p.m. doubleheader.
_______________________________________
Baseball
The Bulldogs dropped all three games of the non-conference series against Arizona, falling 9-1, 6-5 and 5-2.
Tech’s best opportunity came in Saturday night’s game when the Bulldogs (26-12) led 5-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. However, the Wildcats scored six runs on six hits and two walks to record the dramatic come-from-behind win.
For the first eight innings, LA Tech (26-11) was in complete control. After registering a season-low three hits the night before, they had 14 total base knocks with five players having multi-hit games.
Three of those hits came in the first inning alone as Dalton Davis and Cole McConnell posted back-to-back doubles for the first run, followed shortly thereafter by an RBI single from Jorge Corona up the middle to make it an early 2-0 lead for the visitors.
The Bulldogs would gradually add to their lead as the game went on. Will Safford delivered with a sacrifice fly in the fourth to make it 3-0. Later in the eighth inning, McConnell’s hot shot to first resulted in an RBI groundout. Then LA Tech tacked on one more in the ninth with Grant Comeaux, who went 3-for-4, recording a single up the middle, making it 5-0.
Meanwhile on the mound, starter Luke Nichols was stellar, throwing a season-high 6.1 innings of shutout baseball while allowing just four hits. Reliever Sam Brodersen came on in relief, keeping the shutout going against Arizona (20-13) through the seventh and eighth inning.
He came back out to finish the game in the ninth, but after walking the first two batters closer Ethan Bates (1-1) was called on from right field to get three outs. Three straight singles by Arizona quickly sliced LA Tech’s deficit down to 5-2.
The first out was finally recorded with an infield fly to third, but the Wildcats singled again which scored two to make it 5-4. Bates was able to induce a flyout to right field for the second out. However, Arizona tied the game up with a ground-rule double and then completed the comeback with a single through the left side to overcome the five-run deficit in the final inning.
In Friday night’s loss to Arizona, Tech managed just three hits in the loss. The lone run of the game came on an RBI double by Adarius Myers in the top of the second inning.
Three Wildcats pitchers combined to strike out 15 Tech batters.
On Sunday, Tech managed just five hits in the 5-2 loss as Arizona pitchers combined to fan 10 Bulldog batters.
The lone offensive bright spot was a two-run home run by Ethan Bates in the top of the sixth inning that cut the Arizona lead to 5-2.
Tech will travel to ULM Tuesday for a 6 p.m. first pitch.
