Box Score

RUSTON ââ'¬" Krystal De La Cruz and Preslee Gallaway tossed complete-game gems and freshman Sloane Stewartson hit home runs in both games leading Louisiana Tech to a Conference USA doubleheader sweep over FIU 7-1 and 6-0 Saturday afternoon at the Lady Techster Softball Complex.

With the wins, LA Tech (15-13, 4-1 C-USA) has now won three straight against FIU (14-18, 1-4), including last year's 1-0 victory in the C-USA Championship game in Hattiesburg. The two teams will complete the three-game series Sunday with a 12 p.m. start time.

Game 1: LA Tech 7, FIU 1

Louisiana Tech scored three first inning runs against FIU pitcher and Conference USA ERA leader Shannon Saile and Krystal De La Cruz dominated the Golden Panthers, retiring 17 straight batters at one stretch in picking up her second straight win.

FIU got a one-out single by centerfielder Jackie Schoff in the top of the first but De La Cruz retired the next two Golden Panthers to get her team back to the dugout. Schoff's single would be the last base runner for FIU until a leadoff triple by Schoff in the top of the seventh inning.

Tech wasted little time in scoring. Jazlyn Crowder walked and Morgan Turkoly reached on a fielding error to put runners aboard and then Katie Smith followed with an RBI single to left field, giving the Lady Techsters a 1-0 lead. Taria Page then hit a soft grounder to first base that scored Turkoly from third with the second run of the frame.

After Sloane Stewartson walked, Tech executed a double steal and Smith was called safe at home due to obstruction on FIU catcher Julia Gilbert.

Saile settled down after the first inning and kept Tech off the scoreboard until the fifth. However, FIU was unable to ever threaten as De La Cruz worked perfect frames in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Tech added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Crowder singled to right field and moved to second when Saile hit Turkoly with a pitch. Both runners moved up a base on a fly ball to left field by Smith and then scored on a bloop single up the middle by Page. Tech led 5-0.

Stewartson then put an end to Saile's day when she lined her first collegiate home run over the left centerfield wall, upping the lead to 7-0.

FIU scored its only run of the day when Schoff tripled and scored on a ground out by Kassandra Castle in the top of the seventh inning.

De La Cruz (2-5) allowed only one runs on two hits and no walks while striking out one in the win. Saile (9-7) took the loss, allowing seven runs ââ'¬" five earned ââ'¬" on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings of action.

Page (1-2, 3 RBI), Stewartsn (1-2, HR, 2 RBI, run), Crowder (1-3, 2 runs), Turkoly (1-3, 2 runs), Smith (1-3, run, RBI, SB), Emily Daniel (SB) and Kailey Anderson (run, SB) led Tech offensively.

Game 2: LA Tech 6, FIU 0

Preslee Gallaway recorded her second straight complete-game shutout in four days leading the Lady Techsters to a 6-0 win over FIU in the second game of the day.

Gallaway (8-4) allowed just four hits ââ'¬" three singles, double ââ'¬" in 7.0 innings while striking out six and walking only one. The Pilot Point, Texas native got some help from her sophomore catcher Marilyn Rizzato who threw out a pair of FIU base runners trying to steal.

FIU never got more than one base runner on board in any inning against Gallaway, who retired the final seven batters of the game.

Offensively, Tech plated single runs in the second and third innings and two more in each of the fourth and fifth innings.

Tech capitalized on a two-out error in the second to take the lead. Rizzato doubled to centerfield and then scored when a fly ball off the bat of Berkley Calapp was dropped by FIU left fielder Tatyana Forbes.

The Lady Techsters loaded the bases with no outs in the third inning. However, a double play and fly out kept the Tech damage to a minimum as the Lady Techsters added just one run.

Ali Galaz led the third inning off with a single and stolen base and scored when FIU centerfielder Jackie Schoff was ruled to have dropped a fly ball off the bat of Rizzato. Karlee Jensen then drove Rizzato home from third with a sacrifice fly to centerfield on a play that was called obstruction at home. Tech led 4-0.

Tech doused any chance of an FIU rally in the fifth inning. Taria Page laced a two-out double to right centerfield and score on Sloane Stewartson's two-run bomb to straight away centerfield.

Offensively, Tech was led by Crowder (1-3, run), Turkoly (1-4), Page (1-3, RBI), Stewartson (1-3, run, 2 RBI), Galaz (1-3, run, SB), Rizzato (1-2, 2 runs, RBI), Katie Smith (SB) and Jensen (RBI).