MIAMI – The Louisiana Tech Softball team split a doubleheader against FIU to take the series two games to one at Felsberg Field in Miami on Saturday afternoon. Tech exploded for a season-high seven runs in the seventh inning on its way to a 10-2 victory in the final game of the series after falling 1-0 in game one of the doubleheader.

The Lady Techsters are now 18-9 on the season and 3-3 in Conference USA play.

Every player in the lineup notched a hit in the series finale. Brooke Diaz hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning while KB Briley, Sierra Sacco and Kylie Neel all drove in two runs apiece.

Mary Martinez pitched five innings, allowing just two runs and four hits on her way to her sixth victory of the season while Emma Hutchinson pitched two shutout innings in relief to earn a save. Martinez leads the Louisiana Tech pitching staff with a 6-1 record while owning a 1.39 ERA and a .99 WHIP.

Melnychuk allowed just one unearned run in her sixth innings of work in game one but unfortunately was credited with the loss as Tech was unable to provide run support. Sierra Sacco tied a season high with three hits in the contest, going 3-3 with a walk.

NOTABLES

• The Lady Techsters seven runs in the seventh inning of game two was a season high.
• Emma Hutchinson picked up her first save of the season in the win in game two.
• Sierra Sacco singled to lead off game one and walked in game two to run her reached-base streak to nine games. Sacco also owns a eight-game hitting streak.
• Sacco recorded her sixth multi-hit game of the season, collecting two hits in game one of the doubleheader. Sacco finished the contest with three hits tying a season-high.
• Brook Melnychuk pitched a career high six innings allowing one unearned run and five hits in game one.
• LA Tech is now 265-183 in games started by a right-handed pitcher this decade, including a 52-37 mark under head coach Josh Taylor.
• Tech is now 174-75 all time in Conference USA play.
• The win was the Lady Techsters 764th all-time outside of Ruston.

 
QUOTABLES
"I was disappointed in our offense in game one. The same kid that shut us down in game one is the one we scored seven runs on in the seventh of game two… Brook Melnychuk pitched fantastic in game one and in game two we were struggling for a while then finally exploded after making adjustments in the seventh. The takeaway from the weekend is our girls have to learn how to adjust better from at bat to at bat and pitch to pitch. As soon as we can do that the better our offense will be to give our pitchers a lead to work with." – Head Coach Josh Taylor
 
 
GAME TWO
Mary Martinez got the nod for the fourth time this season in the series finale, while Megan Kruger was the starter for FIU.

Sierra Sacco led off the top of the first with a walk to reach base for the ninth-consecutive game. Amanda Gonzalez laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Sacco to second before Katelin Cooper had an RBI single through the right side, scoring Sacco to give Tech the game's first run.

FIU shortstop Ashton Lansdell reached on a bunt single to lead off the bottom of the first and later came around to score on a ground out to knot things up 1-1.

In the top half of the second inning, Kruger set down the Tech bats in order. The Panthers got the leadoff batter to reach in the bottom of the second and added another run on a two-out single by Logan Turner, taking a 2-1 lead.

Both sides were retired in order during the third inning.

Kylie Neel got hit by a pitch for the seventh time this season to reach base in the top of the fourth. Martinez put up her second straight scoreless frame in the bottom of the fourth.

Jordyn Manning sent a lined shot into left field for a leadoff single in the top of the fifth. Olivia Ellingson then pinch-ran for Manning. KB Briley stepped to the plate and ripped a double to the left centerfield gap as Ellingson raced home to tie the game at 2-2. Bailey Wright moved Briley over with a sacrifice bunt before Sierra Sacco scored her with a sacrifice fly to left field to give the Techsters the lead, 3-2.

Martinez retired the Panthers in order, courtesy of some nice defensive plays from Cooper and Caroline Easom in the bottom of the fifth.

Easom singled to center in the top of the sixth for her first hit of the game. Emma Hutchinson relieved Martinez with a 3-2 lead in the sixth and promptly retired FIU in order.

The Lady Techsters exploded for a season-high seven runs in the top of the seventh, courtesy of seven hits and two free passes. The inning was highlighted by a three-run home run by Brooke Diaz and a two-RBI single by Kylie Neel.

Hutchinson earned her first save of the season by spinning a scoreless seventh. Bailey Wright made a diving play on a ground ball by the Panthers' Carmen Perez to end the game as Tech improved to 18-9 and 3-3 in Conference Play.

Mary Martinez earned the win to move to 6-1 on the season, while Sydney Birling took the loss for the Panthers (15-15, 2-4, CUSA).

GAME ONE
Brook Melnychuk made her sixth start of the season in game one of the doubleheader. Left-hander Sydney Birling got the starting nod for FIU.

Sierra Sacco led off the game with an infield single to second base to run her reached-base streak to eight-straight games. Kylie Neel singled up the middle with two outs, but Birling escaped the inning as Tech stranded two in the top of the first.

Melnychuk struck out FIU shortstop Ashton Lansdell and then issued consecutive ground outs to complete the 1-2-3 inning to start her outing.

The Lady Techsters went down in order in the top of the second while Melnychuk threw another shutout inning in the bottom half, allowing just one hit on a very controversial scoring decision.

Sierra Sacco recorded her second hit of the game by singling up the middle with one out in the top of the third. Katelin Cooper followed with a single down the right field line, but Tech stranded two and the game remained scoreless.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Amanda Gonzalez made contact with the FIU baserunner on a ground ball hit to shortstop, but obstruction was not called, and FIU took the 1-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth, Tech was retired in sequence. Melnychuk used just four pitches to retire the Panthers in the bottom of the fourth.

Bailey Wright reached on an error by Lansdell with one out in the fifth, and Sierra Sacco followed with a single for her third hit of the game, but the Panthers were once again able to escape without any damage.

Melnychuk kept the Panthers off the board in the bottom of the fifth, with a single being her only blemish.

Caroline Easom and Sierra Sacco were the lone base runners for Tech in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, as FIU escaped with a 1-0 win.

Despite a great effort in the circle, Melnychuk took the loss to fall to 4-3 on the season, while Birling improved 3-4 for FIU.

NEXT UP
The Lady Techsters will travel to College Station, Texas to face Texas A&M on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
 
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