RUSTON – Despite an impressive, all-hands-on-deck pitching performance, the Louisiana Tech Softball team fell to No. 15 LSU, 3-1 on Tuesday night at a sold-out Dr. Billy Bundrick Field as the Lady Techsters' 15-game home winning streak came to an end.

Two solo home runs by McKenzie Redoutey and the Lady Techsters' stranding a season-high 12 base runners were the difference makers in the game. LA Tech had the bases loaded with one out in the sixth and the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh but could not capitalize.

Going into the matchup, Lady Techsters' head coach Josh Taylor and pitching coach Chelsea Cohen devised a plan to utilize several arms on their pitching staff, who responded to the plan by throwing five scoreless innings. LA Tech held the Tigers' hitters to a .290 average at the plate after LSU came into the matchup with a team batting average of .355 which ranked 15^th nationally.

Katelin Cooper led LA Tech with a career-high three base hits by singling in the second, fourth and sixth innings. Brooke Diaz collected an RBI with a single up the middle that drove in Sierra Sacco in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Fans flocked to Dr. Billy Bundrick Field for the matchup to set the new facility attendance record with 1,100 spectators on hand.

Quotables
On takeaways from tonight's game…
"There is a lot we can take away from tonight. It relies more on our offense right now and in recent games. I was proud of our pitchers and the way they competed. Getting out of the bases-loaded jam with no outs was big. Bailey Wright played a fantastic game at third base tonight and gave us competitive at bats. Katelin Cooper did not get the big hit in that last at bat but she was three for four tonight which really set the table for us. Sierra Sacco started to come around and hit the ball better for us tonight. It is a maturation process for us throughout the season but I am proud of our team," – Head Coach Josh Taylor.
 
Notables

• The crowd of 1,100 set a new attendance record at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
• Katelin Cooper had a career-high three base hits, it was the fifth three-hit performance by a Lady Techster this season.
• Brooke Diaz extended her hitting streak to four games matching Bailey Wright for the longest this season.
• Both Diaz and Cooper have reached base safely in six straight games.

How It Happened
Lauren Menzina got the start and opened the game by throwing a scoreless inning in the first.

In the bottom of the first, Amanda Gonzalez got hit by a pitch for the 36^th time in her career to give Tech its first baserunner. Gonzalez is the La Tech all-time leader in hit-by-pitches.

Retoudey put LSU on the board with her first home run of the season by sending a 2-1 pitch over the wall in center to make it 1-0 in favor of the visitors.

Katelin Cooper recorded the Techsters' first hit of the ballgame by singling into left centerfield in the second inning.

Brook Melnychuk entered the game to pitch the third and found herself in a bases-loaded jam with no outs. However, third baseman Bailey Wright rose to the occasion by snagging a line drive off the bat of the Tigers' Georgia Clark, then made a diving tag on the retreating base runner to turn an unassisted double play. Melnychuk then got the next batter to fly out to end the inning and escape unscathed.

Melnychuk got a big strikeout on Redoutey to start off the fourth inning before Emma Hutchinson retired the next to in order in relief.

LA Tech knotted it up in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of a Brooke Diaz single up the middle that scored Sierra Sacco from second.

LSU then struck back to score two in the sixth, giving them a 3-1 lead they would not surrender. Redoutey hit a towering home run to right field for their first run of the inning before Maci Bergeron doubled home Ali Newland to drive in the game's final run.

LA Tech had the bases loaded with one out in the sixth and the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh but could not capitalize and LSU escaped The Billy with a victory.

Mary Martinez (3-1) took the loss for LA Tech, while Sydney Berzon (4-0) picked up the win and Ali Kilponen picked up her second save of the season for LSU.

NEXT UP
The Lady Techsters will continue their non-conference slate by traveling to Mobile, Ala., to compete in the South Alabama Invitational this weekend. The Lady Techsters open play with Tulsa at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
 
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