Boxscore

SAN JOSE, Calif. ? San Jose State used a two-run homerun late in the seventh inning to lead them to a 7-6 victory over Louisiana Tech in Saturday?s single game Western Athletic Conference match-up at SJSU Field.

The Techsters (9-23, 1-8 WAC) seemed to have the momentum as they jumped out to a four-run lead in the second inning, thanks to RBI singles by Jessica Elson, Krissi Oliver and Emma Barnes, along with a sacrifice fly and RBI by Danielle Sheridan.

?We came out and set the tone by scoring early, but I would?ve liked for us to have been able to answer back in the middle innings,? said Techster head coach Sarah Dawson. ?Just like in any game, you have to compete for seven innings.?

Tech scored two more runs in both the third ? RBI single by Elson ? and sixth - RBI triple by Andrea Gardner, giving them a 6-5 lead heading into the seventh inning. But the Spartans (15-20, 4-4 WAC) continued to battle throughout the entire game by scoring one in the second and two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings before rallying to put the game away in the seventh.

Elson led the Techsters offensively with three hits. Clark and Gardner both contributed two hits, while Barnes, Christine Echols and Oliver all added one hit each.

Oliver, who started the game on the mound for the Techsters, was relieved in the fifth inning by Kristin Rupp. Oliver exited the game with a tied score, after allowing five runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings of play.

Rupp (1-6) was credited with the loss, allowing two runs on one hit and striking out one in 2.0 innings of work. Rupp came on in relief with one out in the bottom of the fith inning with the game tied at 5-5. However, she picked up the loss after allowing the game-winning two-run homerun by San Jose's Mandy Winkley with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

?It was a tough loss,? Dawson said. ?But that?s the thing about playing on the road you don?t have that last at bat to answer back. That?s what conference is all about ? fighting until the very end.?

The Techsters return to action at 5 p.m. Wednesday at home when they host the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions.