Ruston, La. – Behind a combined shutout from Emma Hutchinson and Allie Floyd, the Louisiana Tech Softball team won a 1-0 pitcher's dual over UTSA in the series opener on Friday night at Billy Bundrick Field on Alumni Weekend.
 
Hutchinson struck out four Roadrunners in three innings pitched while allowing just two hits and one walk. Floyd then finished the game with four scoreless innings in which she struck out one and surrendered four hits. Floyd was credited with the win as the starter has to go at least four innings to earn the decision.
 
Tech broke through with the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth when Sierra Sacco raced home after the Roadrunners' left, and centerfielder collided on a fly ball off the bat of KB Briley.  
 
Kylie Neel turned an incredible 9-6 double play by running down a fly ball off the bat of the Roadrunners' Lindsay Davis, then pivoting and firing a bullet to Amanda Gonzalez to catch the runner tagging at second.

The Lady Techsters are now 24-18 overall and 6-7 in Conference USA play.
 
NOTABLES
- Katelin Cooper stole her ninth base of the season by swiping second in the bottom of the second.
- Sacco scored her team-leading 32nd run which happened to be the game winning run in the bottom of the sixth.
- Kylie Neel extended her reached base streak to 13 and her hitting streak to seven with her single in the bottom of the fourth.
- Tech is now 4-2 in games featuring an opposing left-handed starting pitcher.
- The win was the 1,284th all-time for Tech and the 515th all-time in Ruston.
- The shutout was the ninth by the Louisiana Tech pitching staff this season.
 
QUOTABLES
 "They said that pitching and defense win games, and that held true tonight. Emma Hutchinson gave us a great start with four strikeouts. Allie Floyd came in and threw well in the last four innings. It was a team effort for us in the circle. We found a way to get a run. We played excellent defense and Kylie Neel made a really good play in right field, then pivoted to throw a strike to catch the girl tagging up to end the game. We have to be better on offense tomorrow, but I am proud of the team and how we competed." – Josh Taylor
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Emma Hutchinson made her ninth start of the season in the series opener. Left-hander Marena Estell made a start for UTSA, marking the sixth time this year the Lady Techsters have faced a left-handed starting pitcher.
 
Hutchinson came out dealing, striking out two while throwing a scoreless frame to start the ballgame. Estell responded with a 1-2-3 inning herself in the bottom of the first.
 
Amanda Gonzalez turned a 6-3 double play in the top of the second as Hutchinson faced the minimum.
 
In the bottom of the second, Cooper drew a four-pitch two-out walk before promptly swiping second base. Caroline Easom then followed with a walk, but Estell and the Roadrunners escaped the jam.
 
The Roadrunners threatened in the top of the third inning putting runners on the corners with two outs in the inning courtesy of a walk and a single. However, Hutchinson escaped the jam by striking out her fourth Roadrunner of the night to keep the shutout intact.
 
Tech went down in order during the bottom of the third.
 
Allie Floyd relieved Hutchinson by spinning a scoreless fourth inning. Kylie Neel led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to right centerfield, but UTSA turned a double play to minimize the Tech damage and escape the inning.
 
A one-out single by the Roadrunners' Lindsey Davis was the only damage in the top of the fifth as Floyd kept UTSA at bay.
 
Cooper led off the bottom of the fifth with her second walk of the game. Easom then moved Cooper over with a sacrifice bunt. Estell retired the next two batters, however, and the game remained scoreless.
 
In the sixth inning, UTSA put a runner in scoring position with a one-out double down the left field line by Taylor Jensen. That was all they would get as Floyd issued a groundout and a flyout to get out of the inning. 
 
Sierra Sacco led off the top of the sixth with a single up the middle. Amanda Gonzalez then reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt to put two runners on with no outs. Kylie Neel then laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Sacco and Gonzalez to second and third. Tech then took advantage of UTSA's error on a fly ball by KB Briley that the Roadrunner left and centerfielders collided on, allowing Sacco to score the game's winning run.
 
UTSA led off the top of the seventh with a leadoff single from pinch hitter Erykah Guerrero. Floyd struck out the next batter for the first out of the inning before Kylie Neel turned an incredible 9-6 double play by running down a fly ball off the bat of Lindsey Davis and then fired a bullet to Amanda Gonzalez to catch the runner tagging up at second.
 
Allie Floyd got the win by spinning four shutout innings relief, surrendering just four hits and striking out one. Estell went the distance for UTSA, allowing one unearned run on two hits while striking out three.
 
NEXT UP
Tech will be back in action at 1 p.m. tomorrow when they will look to take the series.
 
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