Baton Rouge – The Louisiana Tech Softball team fell to NC State (5-0) and No. 14 LSU (6-2) on Saturday afternoon during the final day of the Purple and Gold Challenge at Tiger Park on the campus of LSU.
Kylie Neel posted her ninth multi-hit game of the season with a solo home run and a single in the loss to LSU. Neel accounted for both of the Lady Techsters' runs in the ballgame.
Offensive woes and the bat of NC State left fielder Katlyn Pavlick were the story of the 5-0 loss to NC State. Tech could only muster two hits in the contest and Pavlick hit two run home runs in the fourth and sixth innings.
NOTABLES
- Tech turned three double plays on the day and now have 23 on the season.
- Katelin Cooper stole her fifth base of the season by swiping second in the fourth inning against NC State.
- Sierra Sacco extended her reached base streak to 17 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 24th base of the season by swiping second in the third inning against LSU.
- Bailey Wright was hit by a pitch in both games, totaling 28 hit by pitches in her career.
- KB Briley extended her reached base streak to nine games with a four-pitch walk in the sixth inning of the loss to NC State.
- Kylie Neel hit her second home run of the season with a solo shot to right-centerfield in the second inning of the game against LSU. Neel also singled in a run in the fourth inning.
GAME TWO
The Lady Techsters were retired in order in the top of the first.
Danieca Coffey led off the bottom of the first with a single to left field for LSU. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for the Tigers. Hutchinson then issued a 5-4-3 double play for the first two outs of the inning. LSU took the lead on a two-RBI single to right center to go ahead 2-0. Hutchinson issued a ground out to
Jordyn Manning for the final out of the inning.
Kylie Neel put Tech on the board with a solo home run to right-centerfield to cut the deficit to 2-1. The round-tripper was her second of the season.
Emma Hutchinson struck out her last batter faced for the second out of the bottom of the second.
Allie Floyd then generated a flyout to Katelin Cooper in left field to complete the scoreless frame.
Bailey Wright was hit by a pitch for the 28th time in her career in the top of the third.
Sierra Sacco reached on a fielder's choice and stole second for her 24th stole base of the season.
In the bottom of the third, Floyd cruised through the Tigers with a 1-2-3 inning.
Cooper led off the fourth inning with a double to left field.
KB Briley then laid down a textbook sacrifice bunt to advance Cooper to third.
Kylie Neel singled through the left side to tie the game at 2-2.
Brooke Diaz reached on a fielders choice when LSU third baseman Danieca Coffey tried to throw out Neel at second but Neel beat the throw.
Amanda Gonzalez then smashed a line drive off LSU pitcher Ali Kilponen to load the bases. Sydney Berzon entered the game in relief and picked up two outs to escape the jam.
LSU regained the lead with a four-run bottom of the fourth inning. The Tigers tallied four hits and walk in the inning while taking the 6-2 lead.
Berzon sat Tech down in order in the fifth inning.
Lauren Menzina answered in the bottom of the fifth with a scoreless frame for the Techsters.
Berzon and Menzina sat down the opposing sides in order during the sixth inning.
Tech was retired in order in the seventh as LSU improved to 30-6 on the season while Tech fell to 21-15. Floyd took the loss in a relief effort for Tech, falling to 3-5, while Berzon improved to 11-2 on the season.
GAME ONE
Alyssa Martin made her first career start in the first game of the day against NC State, while Aisha Wexlman got the start for the Wolfpack.
Tech was sent down in order at the plate in both the first and second innings.
Defensively,
Bailey Wright helped keep the Wolfpack off the board by turning a 5-3 double play in the bottom of the first. The double play by Wright was the 20th for Tech this season. Martin spun a scoreless second inning, capped by her first strikeout of the game.
Bailey Wright was hit by a pitch in the top of the third to give Tech its first baserunner of the ballgame. Martin kept the Wolfpack at bay with a scoreless third, retiring them with a groundout, fielder's choice, and a flyout to breeze through the inning.
In the top of the fourth, Katelin Cooper reached on a throwing error and then stole second one batter later.
Kylie Neel followed with a walk but both were stranded to end the inning.
Martin picked up her second strikeout of the day by fanning Haley Haslip. A batter later, NC State took the lead on a two-run home run by Katlyn Pavlick. Martin bounced back with her third strikeout of the day to end the inning.
A two-out single by
Bailey Wright gave Tech its first base runner of the game in the fifth inning, followed by an infield single by
Sierra Sacco. The single increased Sacco's reached-base streak to 17 games. The runners were stranded again as Weixlman escaped the inning with a fly out.
Brook Melnychuk relieved Martin in the fifth with two runners on. Melnychuk had retired her first batter faced with a pop-up to second base; however, an illegal pitch was called and the batter ended up walking.
Mary Martinez relieved Melnychuk after the walk. The Wolfpack added another run, courtesy of a sacrifice fly, to make it 3-0. The right arm of Neel helped minimize the damage, as she turned a double play by throwing out a runner tagging up at third before cutting down another runner in between second and third to end the inning.
Cooper and Briley
KB Briley walked to lead off the sixth inning.
Kylie Neel flew out to deep left-centerfield, which both runners initially tagged on. However, NC State appealed that the runner left early and got a double play to decimate a Tech rally.
Pavlick hit her second home run of the day with a two-run home run to left-centerfield in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it the final, 5-0.
Tech went down in order in the seventh. Martin took the loss in her first decision of the season, while Weixlman earned her fifth win of the season for NC State (13-23).
NEXT UP
The Lady Techsters are now to 21-15 on the season and will be back in action at 6 p.m. on Tuesday when they visit ULM.
For all the latest in Lady Techster Softball, follow them on Twitter (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB) and Facebook (Louisiana Tech Softball) or visit the official website at LATechSports.com.
