RUSTON – Numerous contributions throughout the lineup boosted the Louisiana Tech Softball team to a 5-3 midweek win over Central Arkansas on Wednesday evening at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.

Katelin Cooper, Caroline Easom and Sierra Sacco each had multi-hit performances and drove in runs as six Lady Techsters (10-5) recorded hits and seven starters in head coach Josh Taylor's lineup reached base. Cooper hit her second home run of the season with a solo shot to right centerfield in the second inning.

In total, LA Tech tallied nine hits and five runs against a Central Arkansas (11-3) pitching staff that came into the matchup ranking eighth in the country in team ERA. The Lady Techsters' nine hits and five runs were the second-most the Bears have allowed this season.

In the circle, Emma Hutchinson, Mary Martinez and Allie Floyd combined to allow just two earned runs and three strikeouts in their seven innings pitched. Martinez got the win to improve to 4-1 on the season, while Allie Floyd picked up her first career save.

Quotables
On takeaways from tonight's game…
"I am proud of our team. Putting up a single run in five-consecutive innings against really high-end pitching that Central Arkansas has makes me proud of the way we competed. We played well on defense, we made a couple miscues but when we needed a play we got it. Our pitchers did a great job of staying away from big innings and minimizing damage to keep us in the game. I was really proud of tonight's win and based on how we competed you could say it was our best win this season," – Head Coach Josh Taylor.

Notables

• The win was No. 1,270 in program history.
• The Lady Techsters' white jerseys and blue pants uniform combo made its debut.
• Katelin Cooper hit her second home run of the season, already matching her total from a year ago.
• Ella Rose Wright made her second start of the year at catcher.
• Kylie Neel drove in her 15^th run of the season to eclipse her RBI total from last year, in 45 less at bats.
• Sierra Sacco has now reached base safely in nine consecutive games. She also stole her 13^th base of the season.
• Allie Floyd registered her first career save.

How It Happened
Emma Hutchinson got the start and allowed two runs on three hits in 3.2 innings of work.

Hutchinson opened the game by throwing a scoreless first inning that featured an inning-ending double play by Sacco as she caught a fly ball off the bat of the Bears' Madi Young and then fired a bullet to Bailey Wright at third to catch the tagging runner.

Cooper opened the scoring with a solo home run to right centerfield in the second inning to give the Lady Techsters the early 1-0 lead. The round-tripper was Cooper's second of the season, already matching her total from a year ago.

Sierra Sacco doubled down the left field line to kickstart the bottom of the third. Caroline Easom followed with an infield single to third before Kylie Neel singled up the middle to score Sacco and record her 15th RBI of the season. Brooke Diaz followed with a single, but Tech did not fully capitalize on its opportunity, leaving the bases loaded to end the third.

Central Arkansas tied it up in the top of the fourth with a two-run home run from Morgan Nelson. Mary Martinez then came in and got the third out, courtesy of Kylie Neel throwing out the potential leading runner at the plate.

Bailey Wright battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk, then stole second before coming around to score on a two-out single through the left side by Easom to regain the lead, 3-2 at the end of four.

Allie Floyd relieved Martinez in the fifth, throwing a scoreless frame in her first chance against the Bears. Floyd would stay in the circle for the remainder of the game, totaling one unearned run while allowing three hits and striking out two.

Amanda Gonzalez walked, and Katelin Cooper and Bailey Wright were both by pitches to load the bases in the bottom of the fifth. Sierra Sacco then stepped up to the plate and quickly found herself with an 0-2 deficit. However, Sacco battled back by fouling off a couple of pitches on her way to a walk, increasing the Lady Techsters' lead to 4-2.

A wild sequence of events happened in the bottom of the sixth to earn the Lady Techsters' final run of the ballgame. With Cooper on first, Gonzalez on third, and Jordyn Manning at the plate, head coach Josh Taylor called for a double steal. Cooper swiped second, but Gonzalez was caught in a rundown between third and home. Gonzalez then showed off her elusiveness by making a Barry Sanders-like juke on the Central Arkansas catcher to evade the tag and trot home to increase the Tech lead to three.

Central Arkansas would not go down without a fight as the Bears added another run in the top of the seventh on a wild pitch to make it 5-3, but that is all they would get as Floyd slammed the door and The Lady Techsters garnered their 10th win of the season.

Mary Martinez faced just three batters in the game but picked up her fourth win of the season, allowing one hit in a third of an inning pitched. She is now 4-1 on the year. Allie Floyd was credited with her first career save, while Jordan Johnson took the loss for the Bears to fall to 4-2 on the season.

NEXT UP
The Lady Techsters will continue their homestand with the LA Tech Invitational this weekend. The Lady Techsters open play with Houston Christian at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
 
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