The Louisiana Tech softball team used dominant pitching and timely hitting to defeat Sam Houston 2-1 and take the series over the Bearkats on Sunday afternoon at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
With the win, the Bulldogs (16-4, 3-0 CUSA) are off to their best start since 1990 and sit atop the Conference USA standings. Louisiana Tech was the only team in the league to sweep this weekend's conference series opener.
In the circle, Brooke Melnychuk and Allie Floyd baffled Sam Houston batters all afternoon. Melnychuk started the game and pitched three innings, allowing two hits and one run while striking out two. Allie Floyd then dominated the rest of the game, pitching four shutout innings with three strikeouts and allowing just one hit and one walk. Floyd earned the win, improving to 6-1 on the season.
Caitlin Cooper led the way at the plate with two doubles, one RBI, and one RBI. Alana Rodgers scored the game's first points with an RBI to center field, and Kylie Neal and Aubrey Seaney also had doubles to bring home the win. Alexis Giglio and Caroline Easom also reached base thanks to walks.
Micah Vento replaced reliever Sam Houston (9-12) with the loss, dropping to 2-4 on the season. Vento pitched two innings, allowing two hits and one run, with three strikeouts. Bearkats ace Darin Grams started the game and pitched four innings, allowing three hits and one run.
Celebrity
– Alexis Giglio extended his streak on base to seven games with two outs and a walk in the first inning. Following the walk, he stole second base, giving him the team's seventh stolen base this season.
– Kaitlin Cooper had two doubles in one game for the first time in her career.
– Aubrey Sheaney has the longest active hitting streak on the team at three consecutive games. His double in the fourth inning was his sixth of the season.
– The three-game series win marks the first time since 2019 that Louisiana Tech has won the first conference series of the season. This feat has only been accomplished twice since Tech officially joined the conference in his 2000 year.
– The Bulldogs have a total of 19 wins and 14 losses in games played on March 10th.
– The Bulldogs are 87-48 under head coach Josh Taylor, who has a 320-216 record as a head coach.
– Allie Floyd picked up her sixth win of the season. He is just two wins away from reaching a total of eight wins in 2023.
– LA Tech is off to its best start since 1990, when the Bulldogs also started 16-4.
– Louisiana Tech now has 1,290 total wins, including 524 at Ruston.
– The Bulldogs lead the all-time series over Sam Houston 20-12.
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As for the pitchers…
“Our pitching staff is all really good. It starts and ends with pitching coach Chelsea Cohen. She does a phenomenal job of handling them and keeping them loose. It helps us understand what's going wrong and how we're trying to eliminate people. We have two different types of pitchers in Allie (Floyd) and Brooke Melnychuk who work very well with each other. They do a really good job and we have some great relief pitchers who keep us in games, whether they're starting or coming out of the bullpen. They're the same every time, so we know what we're going to get. The whole pitching staff does a great job.” – Head Coach Josh Taylor.
Conference starts 3-0…
“They say championships are decided on Sunday. Whether it's a 2-1 game or whatever, we have to win on Sunday. It was huge to win the opening series. We hope it will lead to bigger and better things in the future.” – Head Coach Josh Taylor
how did it happen
Brooke Melnichuk made her seventh start of the year for LA Tech, and Bearkats ace Darin Grams returned for the second time in the series.
Ellie Grill opened the game with a double into the left-field gap, but that was all Sam Houston got as Melnichuk retired the next three batters with two groundouts and a strikeout.
Alexis Giglio and Caroline Easom drew two-out walks in the bottom half. Giglio also hit a double and recorded his seventh stolen base of the season.
Melnychuk pitched a 1-2-3 second inning, highlighted by a nice diving catch by right fielder Alana Rodger in foul territory to end the inning. Louisiana Tech took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on two-out doubles by Kylie Neal and Kaitlin Cooper.
The Bearkats tied the game in the third inning with a solo home run by third baseman Tricia Yarotsky.
Allie Floyd relieved Melnichuk in the fourth inning, facing minimal pressure as Brooke Diaz hit a bear cut trying to steal base with two outs, and Floyd struck out the other two batters he faced. Aubrey Sheaney hit a double down the right field line to lead off the bottom half, but Tech was unable to force an RBI.
In the fifth inning, Floyd was retired, followed by Sam Houston. Kaitlin Cooper led off the home half with her second double of the day, then Alana Rogers' RBI hit to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead.
Floyd retired Sam Houston, 1-2-3, in the sixth inning, winning eight straight games. The Bulldogs retired in order in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Bearkats got Brody Quinlan's walk in the seventh inning to tie the game to first base, but that was as far as she could go. Floyd forced the next batter to line out on a third-base rally, then grounded out to shortstop Nicole Hammoud to end the game.
to the next
The Bulldogs will return to action Tuesday against Northwestern State at 6 p.m.
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