RUSTON, La. – After a one and a half week hiatus, the Louisiana Tech Softball team resumes its Conference USA slate by traveling to Birmingham, Ala. To face UAB in a three-game series, Thursday-Saturday at Mary Bowers Field.
Game time for the series finale has yet to be determined as an announcement will be made pending the weather forecast for Friday and Saturday.
SERIES INFORMATION
Date/Time: Thursday, April 6 (10:30 a.m.) DH | Friday, April 7 (1 p.m.)
Location: Mary Bowers Field (Birmingham, Ala.)
Stats: Live Stats
Watch: ESPN+ (Thursday only)
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (22-15)
Louisiana Tech is 22-15 on the season and coming off a thrilling 5-4 win ay ULM in 10 innings.
Allie Floyd threw seven shutout innings in relief while retiring her final 13 batters faced to get the win. Tech broke through for a run in the top of the 10th to give them the 5-4 lead and, ultimately the win.
Kylie Neel led off the inning with a double off the left field wall.
Ella Rose Wright moved Neel over with a textbook sacrifice bunt before
Amanda Gonzalez drove in Neel with a single to right field.
Gonzalez has driven in the game-winning RBI in the past two wins for LA Tech as she also drove in the game-winning run with a single against NC State on March 31 in the Purple and Gold Challenge.
Sierra Sacco leads Tech at the plate with 37 hits, 29 runs scored, 25 walks, and a .325 batting average. The Sophomore is the all-time program leader in career batting average with a mark of .397. Sacco has 26 stolen bases this season which leads Conference USA.
Pitching has been the story this season for the Lady Techsters, as they hold a team ERA of 1.91 in 252.2 innings pitched.
Mary Martinez leads the Techsters in the circle with an 8-2 record and 1.63 ERA in 51.2 innings pitched.
Martinez picked up her eighth win of the season by throwing a complete game shutout against NC State. It was the first win over a power five team for Tech since they defeated Penn State on Feb. 24, 2019. As a result of her efforts, she was named the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week.
LA Tech is among the nation's leaders in double plays per game, turning 0.61 a contest.
Scoring first has been a significant factor in the Techsters' success this year, as they have posted a 20-2 record when doing so.
LA Tech is led by head coach
Josh Taylor who is 61-35 in his second season at Tech and 181-144 in his career, with prior stops at Nevada (2017-2021) and Feather River College (2009-2012).
ABOUT UAB (19-17)
The Blazers are coming off a 2-1 series win over North Texas this past weekend. UAB won games one and three of the series, 1-0 and 6-3 while dropping game two, 4-0.
Bella Wiggins leads UAB in batting average with a .330 mark, while Lauren Brock leads the team in hits with 35 in 119 at bats.
Sierra Frazier possesses the biggest bat in the lineup with a team-best eight home runs, 27 RBI and 57 total bases.
In the circle, they are led by Leigha Kirby, who holds a 2.50 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 57.2 innings pitched.
AJ Daughtery is in his first season at the helm for the Blazers.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisiana Tech and UAB have met 27 times with Tech leading the series 18-9. The
Lady Techsters swept UAB last year in Ruston by scores of 9-1, 4-3 and 3-2.
Kylie Neel hit a solo home run during the first game of the series.
Tech is 9-5 all-time in Birmingham
SOCIAL MEDIA
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