Baton Rouge – The Louisiana Tech Softball team defeated NC State (2-0) and fell to BYU (5-3) on the first day of the Purple and Gold Challenge on Friday afternoon at Tiger Park on the campus of LSU.

Mary Martinez had a career day, throwing a complete-game shutout in the 2-0 win over NC State. Martinez had a career-high six strikeouts while allowing just four hits on her way to the first seven-inning complete-game shutout by a LA Tech pitcher this season.

KB Briley had a great day at the plate, going 4-7. Briley is now batting .394 on the season. Sierra Sacco had three hits on the day and scored a run in both games.

The Lady Techsters had their chances in the second game of the day against BYU but could not come through offensively as they stranded nine runners on base and left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.

NOTABLES

• Mary Martinez set a new career high in innings pitched (7.0) and strikeouts (6) in the game against NC State.
• Martinez threw the first seven-inning complete-game shutout since Audrey Pickett accomplished the feat in a 1-0 win over Southern Miss on May 6, 2022.
• KB Briley tied a season high with three hits in the win over NC State. Briley now has three-multi hit games this season.
• Briley has reached base in eight-consecutive games
• Sierra Sacco extended her reached base streak to 16 games with a triple to lead off the top of the seventh inning in game one and a single in the third inning of game two.
• Sacco stole her 23^rd base of the season, swiping second in the third inning of game two.
• The Lady Techsters are now 19-2 this season when scoring first.
• The win over NC State was the Lady Techsters' 767^th all-time away from Ruston.
• The win over NC State was the first over a Power Five opponent since Feb. 24, 2019 when Preslee Gallaway threw a no hitter in a 6-0 win over Penn State.

 
GAME ONE
Tech was retired in order in the top of the first. Martinez was impressive in the bottom half with two strikeouts during her scoreless frame.

KB Briley and Kylie Neel recorded back-to-back singles to get things started in the second, but Tech could not come through offensively as both were stranded.

Martinez faced the minimum in the bottom of the second. Amanda Gonzalez and Caroline Easom turned a 6-4-3 double play for the first two outs of the inning.

Both teams were kept off the board in the third inning. Easom singled in the top half and Martinez picked up her third strikeout of the game by fanning the Wolf Pack's Hailey Haislip.
 
Briley was the lone base runner for Tech in the top of the fourth, singling to centerfield for her second hit of the game. Martinez threw a scoreless frame in the fourth while striking out two NC State batters to reach five strikeouts, setting a new career high.

In the top of the fifth, Easom had a two-out single that fell in the right-centerfield gap for her second hit of the game. Martinez sat down the Wolf Pack in the bottom half.

Briley singled to shortstop to lead off the sixth inning. A pitch hit Kylie Neel to put two runners on and no outs. Brooke Diaz moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt before Amanda Gonzalez broke things open with a single through the left side to bring home the game's first run and give Tech the 1-0 lead.

Kylie Neel turned a huge inning-ending double play in the bottom of the sixth inning. Neel got Tech out of the inning by snagging a line drive and throwing out the retreating runner at second base.

Sierra Sacco led off the top of the seventh with a triple down the left field line and later came around to score on a textbook squeeze bunt by Alyssa Dean to make it the final 2-0.

Mary Martinez recorded the final three outs in the bottom of the seventh to earn the first seven-inning complete-game shutout by a LA Tech pitcher this season.

GAME TWO
The Cougars took a 3-0 lead in the first courtesy of two singles, three illegal pitches and a throwing error in the top of the first. Tech initially got out of the inning with a strikeout from Melynchuk and Tech trailing 1-0. However, third base umpire Kevin Davis called his third illegal pitch of the inning and one pitch later, Violet Zvodnik singled through the right side to increase the Cougars' lead to 3-0. Floyd relieved Melnychuk and picked up the final out of the inning.

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Katelin Cooper laid down a bunt single and KB Briley had a line drive single to right field. However, the runners were stranded as BYU escaped the inning.

A leadoff double led to another run for BYU in the top of the second. Tech was retired in order in the bottom half.

Floyd retired the Cougars with a 1-2-3 top of the third.

With one out in the bottom of the third inning, Sierra Sacco singled up the middle and then stole second. Back-to-back walks by Caroline Easom and Katelin Cooper loaded the bases for the Lady Techsters. Sacco came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 4-1 before Brooke Diaz singled to centerfield to drive in Easom and Cooper to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Floyd sat the Cougars down in order in the fourth and fifth innings. Sacco reached on a walk in the fourth, and Neel walked in the fifth, but that was all Tech could muster offensively.

A leadoff walk returned to haunt the Lady Techsters in the top of the sixth, as BYU increased its lead to 5-3. The Lady Techsters were sent down in order in the bottom of the sixth.

Menzina relieved Floyd to pitch the seventh and threw up a scoreless frame. Bailey Wright made an incredible diving catch on a BYU bunt attempt, then threw out the retreating runner at first base to turn a double play.

Sierra Sacco led off the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle and Caroline Easom, who represented the tying run, reached on a walk. Cooper reached on a sacrifice bunt after the Cougars' throw to catch Sacco at third was not in time to load the bases. However, BYU starter Kaysen Korth escaped the inning by retiring the next three to earn her 10th win of the season as the Cougars improved to 16-8 and Tech dropped to 21-13. Brook Melnychuk took the loss for LA Tech, falling to 4-5 on the year.

NEXT UP
The Lady Techsters are now to 21-13 on the season and 3-5 in Conference USA play. Tech will close out the Purple and Gold Challenge with NC State (1:30 p.m.) and LSU (4 p.m.) tomorrow.
 
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