RUSTON, La. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team will look to continue its winning ways when it hits the road for the first time this season on Wednesday by visiting Southeastern at 5 p.m. The matchup will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Wednesday, Feb 15 | 5 p.m. CT
Location: North Oak Park (Hammond, La.)
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Stats: Lionsports.net
QUOTABLES
"Southeastern has a lot of team-speed. Our infield play will be a very important aspect of the game and we have to show up prepared and ready to defend." – Head Coach
Josh Taylor
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (3-0)
LA Tech is coming off an impressive season-opening series sweep of SEMO by the scores of 4-0, 8-0 (6 inn.) and 6-1, to run its home winning streak to 15 games.
Pitching has been the story of the young season for the Lady Techsters as their staff threw 19 consecutive scoreless innings to start the season and hold a team earned run average of 0.35.
Junior
Brook Melnychuk took the win in the season opener tossing five shutout innings while yielding just three hits, four strikeouts and three walks. The former NJCAA All-American missed the entire 2022 season due to injury and made an emphatic statement by striking out the side to start the game.
Emma Hutchinson completed the shutout by putting a pair of zeros on the board in the final two frames.
Lauren Menzina took the win in game two with four shutouts innings in which she surrender just two hits before handing the ball over to freshman
Mary Martinez who allowed no runs and one hit over two innings to get the save.
Freshman
Allie Floyd got the win in the series finale, going six shutout innings with one strikeout and five hits allowed. Sophomore
Alyssa Martin made her LA Tech debut by allowing one hit and one run in the seventh to complete the sweep.
Senior third baseman
Bailey Wright had a phenomenal weekend at the plate batting .500 and notching four hits, two doubles while hitting her first career home run. The senior third baseman leads LA Tech with nine total bases and four runs scored. Wright currently ranks among the Conference USA leaders in numerous categories including slugging percentage (2
nd, 1.125) On base plus slugging percentage (3
rd, 1.681) runs scored (T-6
th, 4) doubles (T-2
nd, 2) and home runs (T-6
th, 1).
Wright and second baseman
Caroline Easom have at least one hit in every game this season.
Jordyn Manning and Katelin Cooper also hit home runs in game two of the series, with Manning hitting a solo shot to left in the sixth inning and Cooper hitting a three-run bomb in the first inning.
Cooper leads Tech with four RBI this season. Senior
Alyssa Dean is tied for the team-lead in batting average (.500) with Wright. Dean showcased her speed with two infield singles in the series in addition to a double.
Center fielder
Sierra Sacco extended her streak of reaching base safely to 34 games. The sophomore is batting .444 with four hits an RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases.
ABOUT SOUTHEASTERN (3-0)
Southeastern also picked up a series sweep to start the season by defeating defending Missouri Valley Conference Champion Missouri State 2-1, 7-1 and 8-0 (6 inn.)
Junior infielder Lexi Johnson leads the Lady Lions at the plate with a .750 batting average. She tallied six hits three RBI and three runs scored against Missouri State.
Over the course of the opening weekend Southeastern batted .360 as a team with 27 hits 17 runs scored, three home runs and six stolen bases in nine attempts.
In the circle, Cera Blanchard led the way, picking up two wins while allowing five hits and striking out five over eight innings of work.
The Lady Lions are led by head coach Rick Fremin who is in his 10th season in Cape Girardeau with a record of 204-152.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 68th meeting between the Lady Techsters and Lady Lions. LA Tech leads the all-time series 50-17. The Lady Techsters' 50 wins over Southeastern are the fifth-most over a single team in program history. Tech defeated Southeastern, 2-1 in the last meeting between the schools on March 16, 2022 in Ruston.
Lauren Menzina got the victory and
Olivia Ellingson's fifth-inning SAC fly proved to be the difference maker in the win
SOCIAL MEDIA
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