Box Score RUSTON, La. – Behind four runs batted in from Katelin Cooper and a gutsy relief performance in the circle from Allie Floyd, the Louisiana Tech Softball team defeated Charlotte in a 4-3 series-opening thriller on Friday night at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field, increasing the Techsters' winning streak to eight games.

The key moment in the game came with two outs and runners on the corners in the bottom of the fifth inning when Katelin Cooper drove a first-pitch fastball from Charlotte pitcher Sam Gress over the centerfield wall. The three-run shot gave Tech a 4-2 lead at the time, which would be all the runs it would need in the win.

Cooper led Tech offensively by going 2-4 with four RBI, which tied a career high. Sierra Sacco, Jordyn Manning, and Alyssa Dean all recorded singles in the contest.

Mary Martinez made the start for Tech, allowing one earned run in 1.2 innings pitched. Allie Floyd took over the rest of the way, throwing 5.1 innings in relief while allowing two earned runs on five hits and striking out two batters to earn her eighth win of the season.

LA Tech is now 31-18 overall and a half-game back of second-place Charlotte in the Conference USA standings with a 12-7 mark. UAB moved into first place in the standings with a 6-0 win over UTEP. Tech sits a game behind the Blazers in a three-way tie in third with North Texas and Florida Atlantic.

The Lady Techsters' eight-game winning streak is tied for the 11th-longest active winning streak in the country.

NOTABLES
- Kylie Neel extended her reached-base streak to 20 games with three walks. She joins Katelin Cooper as the only Lady Techster to walk three times this season as Cooper did so in a 5-4 extra-innings win at ULM on April 4.
- Katelin Cooper tied a career-high with four RBI. She also accomplished the feat during a win over Houston Christian on March 4^th of this year.
- Cooper had her fourth outfield assist of the season by throwing out the 49ers' Ella Chancey at the plate in the top of the third inning.
- Cooper's three run home run in the bottom of the fifth was her team-leading eighth of the season, ranking ninth among all Conference USA players.
- Tech has now won nine games this season when being out-hit by opponents.
- The LA Tech pitching staff continued its impressive performance with the bases loaded as opponents are now 3-32 (.093) against them in that situation this season.
- Sierra Sacco has now reached base in 12-consecutive games as she singled in the contest. The game marked her 108th-consecutive start. She also recorded her conference-leading 34^th base of the season by swiping second in the third inning.
- Mary Martinez escaped a one-out bases-loaded jam in the first inning, marking the fourth time a Tech pitcher has accomplished the feat this season, joining Emma Hutchinson (UTSA, April 16), Lauren Menzina (Houston Christian, March 5) and Allie Floyd (UAB, April 8).
- Tech now leads the all-time series with Charlotte 13-4.
- With the win Tech has now won 519 games at home all-time, including 45 at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field. 
- The win was the 1,291st all-time for Tech.

QUOTABLES
"Pitching, defense and timely hitting wins ballgames. We preached that since we got here and we got all three tonight. Mary Martinez gave us a great start and Allie Floyd gave us an unbelievable performance in the circle. Katelin Cooper had a huge four-RBI performance including a big three-run home run to give us the lead and Allie shut it down the rest of the way. It was a big win for us and we look forward to our next game with them." – Head Coach Josh Taylor
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Mary Martinez made her ninth start for Louisiana Tech, while Sam Gress got the starting nod for the 21st time this season for the visiting 49ers of Charlotte.
 
Ashleigh Washington drew a leadoff walk to start the game for Charlotte. Kassidy Krupit followed with a base hit to left field to put runners on first and second with no outs. Martinez issued a fielder's choice for the first out of the inning. Charlotte loaded the bases courtesy of a single to right field by Bailey Vannoy but would get nothing out of it. Martinez escaped the jam with a strikeout of Ella Chancey and a very impressive play by Amanda Gonzalez, who backhanded a ground ball deep in the hole at shortstop and fired it to Bailey Wright at third for the force out.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Kylie Neel just missed a home run sending a long foul by just a few feet right of the right field foul pole. Neel drew a walk in the same at bat, giving Tech its first base runner of the ballgame.
 
Charlotte took the 1-0 lead with two outs in the top of the second when Cori Hoffler scored on a wild pitch. Allie Floyd relieved Martinez with two outs in the inning.
 
In the bottom of the second, Jordyn Manning recorded the first hit of the game for Tech by taking advantage of the Charlotte shift by hitting a ground ball through a massive gap at second base. The 49ers had their second baseman on the left side of the infield.
 
Charlotte threatened in the third by putting two runners on base. With two outs and Chancey on second, pinch hitter Kiyah Garrett singled through the left side and Chancey rounded third and headed for home, but she would be denied as Katelin Cooper had a beautiful throw to nail Chancey at the plate.
 
Sierra Sacco had a one-out single down the left field line in the bottom of the third. Neel followed with her second walk of the game with two outs in the inning. Tech tied it up by beating the shift again as Katelin Cooper singled through the left side, where the shortstop would typically be to bring home Sacco and knot things up at 1-1.
 
Floyd had a 1-2-3 top of the fourth, highlighted by a no-look grab she made on a line drive for the second out of the inning. Gress retired Tech in order in the bottom half.
 
Charlotte regained the lead with a mammoth solo home run to right-centerfield off the bat of Bailey Vannoy to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth.
 
Alyssa Dean singled down the left field line to lead off the bottom half. Sacco advanced her to second base with a sacrifice bunt. Dean went to third on a groundout to the right side by Amanda Gonzalez. Followed by a Neel walk for the third time in the game to put runners on the corner. Cooper stepped into the box and sent the first pitch from Gress over the centerfield wall for a three-run home run, giving Tech a 4-2 lead.
 
Floyd fanned the leadoff batter on her way to a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth. Gress breezed through the Tech bats in the bottom half.
 
Charlotte answered as Washington led off the top of the seventh with a solo home run to left field to cut the lead to 4-3. Floyd got a groundout to Amanda Gonzalez at shortstop for the first out of the inning before Lexi Winters flew out to deep centerfield for the second out. Following the second out of the inning, head coach Josh Taylor and pitching coach Chelsea Cohen had an infield meeting and elected to intentionally walk Vannoy. The move paid off as Floyd got Chancey to foul out to Manning one batter later for the game's final out.

Floyd earned the win to improve to 8-7 on the season while Gress took the loss for Charlotte to drop to 16-9. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 27-18 overall and 12-6 in conference play.
 
NEXT UP
The Lady Techsters will continue the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. stay tuned for weather updates regarding game time.
 
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.