Box Score April 22, 2015 Box Score
LAKE CHARLES, La. - For the second straight night and the third time in the last five games, Louisiana Tech came up on the short end of a one-run contest, this time falling 3-2 at McNeese State on Wednesday night.
Trailing 3-2 heading into its final at bat, LA Tech loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with no outs with the heart of its order at the plate. However, McNeese State reliever Jamie Allred retired Anna Cross on an infield pop-up and then struck out Pauline Tufi and Bianca Duran to end the game.
The Lady Techsters (26-15) have now dropped five straight games, three of them by one run and a fourth by two runs.
On this night in Lake Charles, Tech found itself trailing from the very beginning. McNeese State scored a single run in the first inning to lead 1-0.
Tech answered in the top of the fourth inning. Cross led the frame off with a walk, stole second base and then scored on Tufi's RBI single to left field. Pinch runner Casey Ingram then advanced to third on pinch hitter Krysta Tutsch's single to left field. It was Tutsch's first appearance in more than a month after suffering an injury in a win at Southern Miss in March.
Janine Godwin then delivered a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Ingram and giving LA Tech a 2-1 advantage. The lead was short-lived.
McNeese State answered in the bottom of the fourth inning against Duran, who came on in relief of Bailey Allen. The Cowgirls (30-18) scored two runs on four hits in the inning to retake a 3-2 advantage.
In the top of the seventh inning, Karlee Jensen singled, Kristen Miles walked and Tori Charters singled to load the bases before Allred retired the next three batters to end the game.
Duran (13-11) took the loss, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk in 2.0 innings of action.
Offensively, Tech was led by Charters (2-4), Duran (2-4), Tufi (1-4, 1 RBI), Godwin (1-2, 1 RBI), Jensen (1-2), Tutsch (1-1), Cross (1 run, 1 SB) and Ingram (1 run).
The Lady Techsters return to action Saturday when they host North Texas at 2 p.m. in a Conference USA doubleheader.
