RUSTON, La. – Behind a season-high 10 strikeouts in a combined shutout from
Emma Hutchinson and
Lauren Menzina, the Louisiana Tech Softball team defeated Grambling State 3-0 on Tuesday night at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field, increasing its winning streak to seven games.
Emma Hutchinson made her 12th start of the season, striking out four and allowing just one hit and a walk in three innings pitched.
Lauren Menzina earned the victory for Tech with four shutout innings in relief. Menzina fanned a career-high six batters while yielding no walks and two hits.
Offensively,
Kylie Neel continued her strong performance at the plate by going 2-3 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI.
Amanda Gonzalez also went 2-3 with a run scored.
Sierra Sacco recorded a single, and
Aleya Hill had a pinch-hit RBI double in the sixth inning. Katelin Cooper also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
LA Tech is on a seven-game winning streak and is now 30-18 overall.
Tech is tied for fourth in the Conference USA standings with an 11-7 mark and sits a game and a half back of first-place Charlotte. The 49ers come to town for a critical three-game series this weekend, with the series opener slated for Friday at 6 p.m.
The Lady Techsters' seven-game winning streak is tied for the 15th-longest active winning streak in the country.
NOTABLES
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Kylie Neel extended her reached-base streak to 19 games and hitting streak to 13 games with two base hits in the contest. The performance was Neel's team-leading 13
th multi hit game of the season.
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Lauren Menzina had a career-high six strikeouts in four innings pitched.
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Emma Hutchinson tied a season-high with four strikeouts, she alslo accomplished the feat during a 1-0 win over UTSA on April 14, 2023.
- Tech had a season high 10 strikeouts in the circle which was the most since a 14 strikeout performance during a 2-1 win at Southern Miss on April 30, 2021.
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Kylie Neel's 44 RBI this season are the fifth-most in a single season in program history.
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Sierra Sacco has now reached base in 11-consecutive games. She made her 107
th-consecutive start in the contest.
- The game was broadcasted by ESPN+ which marked the ESPN+ first broadcast at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
- Tech now leads the all-time series with Grambling State 23-0.
- With the win Tech has now won 518 games at home all-time, including 44 at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
- The win was the 1,290th all-time for Tech.
QUOTABLES
"Our pitching tonight was impressive. Our pitching this year has allowed our hitters to settle into games because they know that our pitching is going to keep us in games." – Head Coach
Josh Taylor
HOW IT HAPPENED
Emma Hutchinson made her 12th start of the season for the Lady Techsters while Janecia King got the start for Grambling State.
The Lady Tigers got started with a leadoff single from Kaytlyn Moore, but that was all they got as Hutchinson struck out Cadashia Collins and got India Wells to ground into a 4-3 double play to complete a scoreless top of the first.
Sierra Sacco led off the bottom of the first with an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop. She was later thrown out attempting to steal second for just the second time this season.
Hutchinson worked another scoreless frame while picking up her second strikeout of the game when she caught the Lady Tigers' Tytianna Robinson looking.
Kylie Neel made a nice sliding catch in shallow right field for the final out of the top half. King retired Tech in order in the bottom of the second.
In the top of the third inning, Hutchinson put up another scoreless frame while striking out two. King spun a perfect bottom of the third for Grambling as the game remained scoreless.
Menzina relieved Hutchinson in the fourth inning and retired the Tigers in order, courtesy of a ground out and back-to-back strikeouts.
The Lady Techsters got on the scoreboard with a two-run bottom of the fourth.
Kylie Neel brought home Sacco with an RBI single down the left-field line to make it 1-0. Tech got its second run on a sacrifice fly to left-centerfield by Katelin Cooper, scoring
Amanda Gonzalez.
Both sides were sent down in order in the fifth inning.
In the top of the sixth, Grambling State put a runner on courtesy of an error which snapped a streak of 12 consecutive batters retired by Tech. Menzina was unfazed, however, retiring three-consecutive batters to keep the shutout intact.
Gonzalez led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to left centerfield but was thrown out in a rundown while trying to take second base.
Kylie Neel then doubled to centerfield for her second hit of the game and later came around to score on a pinch-hit double by
Aleya Hill to make it the final 3-0.
The Lady Tigers threatened with two outs in the seventh with back-to-back singles, but that would be all as Menzina issued a fielder's choice to complete the shutout.
Menzina took the win, moving to 5-0 on the season, while King was credited with the loss in her first decision of the year.
NEXT UP
The Lady Techsters will continue their homestand on Friday when they host Charlotte at 6 p.m.
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.
