RUSTON – The Louisiana Tech Softball team earned two run-rule victories by decimating Houston Christian (8-0, 5 inn.) and UMass Lowell (10-0, 5 inn.) during the first day of the LA Tech Invitational on Saturday afternoon at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.

Tech opened its day with an 8-0 thrashing of Houston Christian (9-8), stealing a season-high five bases in the contest. Shortstop Amanda Gonzalez highlighted the Lady Techsters' (12-5) efforts at the plate by going 2-3 with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. Bailey Wright also drove in two runs with a double to the left centerfield gap. Brook Melnychuk was impressive in the circle, spinning five shutout innings with two strikeouts and just three hits allowed.

Tech finished its day by blanking UMass Lowell 10-0 in five innings. Katelin Cooper led the way at the plate by going 2-2 with a double, a home run, four RBI, and a run scored. Cooper's home run came on a three-run blast in the second inning. Kylie Neel went 2-2 at the plate with a double, 3 RBI, and two runs scored. Lauren Menzina picked up the win in the circle going three innings while allowing just two hits and striking out one.

Quotables
On takeaways from today's games…
"Solid pitching, solid defense and timely hitting wins games and we were able to do all three today. I was pleased with the quality of our at bats from everyone in the lineup today," – Head Coach Josh Taylor.

Notables

• The Techsters' win over Houston Christian was Josh Taylor's 50^th at Louisiana Tech and his 173^rd as a collegiate head coach.
• The 10 runs by the Lady Techsters in the win over UMass Lowell matched a season high as they also put up 10 against Manhattan (2/17/23).
• Kylie Neel has reached base in 12 consecutive games, which is a career-high. Neel's three RBI in the win over UMass Lowell set a new career high.
• Tech stole a season-high five bases in the win over Houston Christian, its most since they stole seven against Marshall on May 12, 2022.
• Sierra Sacco has reached base in 11 straight games and stole two bases to run her total to 15 on the season.
• Katelin Cooper hit her third home run of the season, surpassing her total from a year ago. Cooper drove in four runs in the win over UMass Lowell which tied a career high.
• Ella Rose Wright and Jina Baffuto recorded their first collegiate hits in the win over UMass Lowell.
• Alannah Rogers got her first career action in the win over UMass Lowell.
• Tech advanced to 509-262 in Ruston, including a 35-15 mark at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field, where they have won 23 of their past 25 contests.
• LA Tech moved to 10-3 in day games this season and 238-164 in day games this decade.

GAME ONE
Melnychuk got her fourth start of the season against Houston Christian and was dominant, throwing all five innings while allowing just three hits and striking out two.

Melnychuk issued two flyouts to Katelin Cooper to start the game before getting the Huskies' Maggie Childs to strike out looking to end the top of the first inning.

In the bottom of the first, Sierra Sacco stole her 14^th base of the season after reaching on a leadoff walk. Kylie Neel then stepped to the plate and singled up the middle to bring home Sacco for her team-leading 16^th RBI of the season to put the Techsters up 1-0.

Cooper walked to lead off the bottom of the second. Jordyn Manning laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Cooper to second before Cooper swiped third for her fourth stolen base of the season. Alyssa Dean then singled into right centerfield to bring home Cooper. Caroline Easom stepped to the plate with two outs and scored Dean with a single down the left field line to extend the Tech lead to 3-0.

Tech threw a three on the board in the third, marking the eighth-consecutive inning they had plated a run. Diaz led off with a double to start the inning, then later scored on a groundout by Katelin Cooper. Bailey Wright smacked a double to left centerfield to score Cooper and Amanda Gonzalez to make it 6-0.

In the fourth inning, Melnychuk issued a double play while spinning her fourth scoreless frame.

Amanda Gonzalez stepped to the plate in the bottom of the fourth and hit a two-run shot to left center to increase the Tech lead to 8-0. The home run was Gonzalez' first of the season and the 10^th of her career.

Melnychuk retired the Huskies in order in the top of the fifth to complete the Lady Techsters' run-rule win.

GAME TWO
Lauren Menzina got the ball in game two against UMass Lowell and picked up the win by throwing three shutout innings with two strikeouts while allowing just two hits.
Menzina kick-started Tech by retiring the River Hawks in order in the first, courtesy of two groundouts and a flyout.

Tech increased its streak of innings with a run scored to 10 with a three-run first inning at the plate. Amanda Gonzalez drove in Caroline Easom with a groundout for the game's first runs before Katelin Cooper smashed an opposite-field double to bring in Kylie Neel and Brooke Diaz for a three-run lead out of the gates.

Menzina then replicated her first inning by retiring all three River Hawks she faced in the second.

Tech exploded for six runs in the bottom of the second. Ella Rose Wright led off the inning by singling through the right side for her first collegiate hit. Easom singled to right field, driving in a run to make it 4-0 Tech. Neel followed with a bases clearing-double to left-center to make it a seven-run lead before Cooper stepped to the plate and hit a two-run bomb to right centerfield to run the score to 9-0 in Tech's favor.

Cooper's home run was her third of the season which leads all Lady Techsters and  surpassed her home run total from last season.

Both teams were kept off the board in the third inning, as the Lady Techsters' streak of scoring at least a run an inning ended at 11.

Head Coach Josh Taylor made mass substitutions during the later stages of the game with Alannah Rogers (center field), KB Briley (third base), Aleya Hill (right field), Jina Baffuto (shortstop), Kaylee Grealy (second base) Paris Endris (designated player), Gentry Spinks (pinch hitter) and Olivia Ellingson (pinch hitter) all getting into the game.

Alyssa Martin came in to pitch for Menzina in the fourth inning and cruised the rest of the way, throwing two no-hit innings with two strikeouts.

Baffuto got her first career hit in the bottom of the fourth with a single up the middle. Tech added a run in the inning as Aleya Hill scored on a wild pitch to make it 10-0, which would be the final.

Martin kept the River Hawks off the board in the fifth and Tech earned its fourth run-rule win of the season.

Menzina moved to 2-0 with the victory. She now holds a 2.86 ERA in 14.2 innings pitched this season.
 
NEXT UP
The Lady Techsters are back at it tomorrow with UMass Lowell at 12:30 p.m. and Houston Christian at 3 p.m.
 
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