Box Score RUSTON, La. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team fell to Middle Tennessee, 5-4 on Wednesday morning at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field. With the loss, the Lady Techsters were eliminated from the Conference USA Tournament. LA Tech finished its season with a 32-24 record, including a 13-12 mark in Conference USA play.

Despite being at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field, the Lady Techsters were the visitors in the contest, as Middle Tennessee was the higher-seeded team.

Middle Tennessee used a three-run first inning to race out to an early lead that it would not surrender. The Blue Raiders plated the three first-inning runs on a pair of doubles, a single, an error and a wild pitch. Middle Tennessee would add a run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly and another in the fifth on an infield single.

Offensively, Tech had runners in scoring position numerous times throughout the game, leaving 10 stranded. Sierra Sacco led the way going 2-2 with a pair of walks, an RBI, and a run scored. Katelin Cooper went 2-4 and had three RBI courtesy of a bases-clearing triple off the centerfield wall in the top of the fifth inning.

NOTABLES
- Sierra Sacco increased her reached-base streak to 19-games with a walk to start the game. She increased her consecutive-starts streak to 115 games.
- Kylie Neel extender her reached-base streak to 24 games with a first inning walk.
- Jordyn Manning increased her hitting streak to four games.
- Katelin Cooper drove in her 38^th, 39^th and 40^th runs of the season with a bases-clearing triple in the top of the fifth inning. The triple was Cooper's team-leading third of the season.
- Tech finished its season over the 30-win mark for the 26^th time in program.

QUOTABLES
"Our girls fought well. I thought the top of the order did a good job and Allie settled in and did a good job of keeping us in the game after two tough innings to start. It is kind of a microcosm of the season, not getting in the runner from third with less than two outs twice. I thought we pitched well enough to win and got the big hit from Cooper. Sacco did a great job at the top of the order. We have to be better and that is what we have been talking all year. If you talk about that game in a nutshell that is where we are at. We have won 32 games and I am proud of what we got done this year. I thought we left a lot of games on the field and we are going to have to improve as next season starts now." – head coach Josh Taylor.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The 2023 Conference USA Freshman of the Year, Allie Floyd, made her 14th start of the season for Louisiana Tech while Gretchen Mead got the nod for Middle Tennessee.
 
Sierra Sacco started the game with a walk to increase her reached base streak to 19 games. She was thrown out trying to steal second in the next at bat. Amanda Gonzalez singled up the middle for the contest's first hit, followed by a Kylie Neel walk that put two runners on with just one out. KB Briley drew a walk with two outs to load the bases, but Mead and Middle Tennessee escaped the inning with a ground out to third base to keep Tech off the board.
 
Middle Tennessee added three runs in the bottom of the first courtesy of a pair of doubles, a single, an error and a wild pitch.

Tech was retired in order in the second inning. Savannah Behabetz reached on a throwing error and took second to lead off the bottom of the second. Behabetz would later come around the score on a sacrifice fly by Shelby Echols to make it 4-0 Middle Tennessee.
 
Sacco led off the third with her second walk of the game, and Neel followed with a one-out single off the pitcher, but Tech could not take advantage of the baserunners and left them stranded.
 
Floyd recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third, capped by an inning-ending strikeout.
 
A one-out single to left field by Jordyn Manning was all that Tech could muster in the top of the fourth. Floyd made it six consecutive batters retired in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Bailey Wright led off the top of the fifth with a walk, followed by a Sacco single and a walk by Gonzalez to load the bases. Katelin Cooper cleared the bases with a one-out triple off the centerfield wall to make it 4-3. Kamryn Carcich relieved Mead with one out in the inning and pitched the rest of the game.
 
Middle Tennessee capitalized on another Tech miscue in the bottom of the fifth. A pitch hit the Blue Raiders' No. 9 hitter Ava Tepe to lead off the frame, and she later came around to score on an infield single by Amaya Harris to give Middle Tennessee a 5-3 lead.
 
Brooke Diaz was hit by a pitch to lead off the sixth inning. Olivia Ellingson pinch-ran for Diaz and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Wright. Ellingson came around to score on a single into left centerfield by Sacco to bring Tech within one at 5-4.
 
Floyd issued her third 1-2-3 inning of the day in the bottom half courtesy of a groundout, flyout and lineout.
 
The Lady Techsters battled in their last plate appearance. Cooper led off with a single through the right side, followed by an Alannah Rogers walk. Caroline Easom moved both runners over courtesy of a sacrifice bunt, putting the potential tying run on third and the winning run on second. Carcich issued two straight flyouts, however, and Middle Tennessee advanced to the double elimination round while LA Tech was eliminated.
 
Floyd took the loss for Tech to move to 8-10, while Mead improved to 15-15, and Karcich earned her sixth save of the season.
 
The Lady Techsters finish their 44th season in school history with a 32-24 overall record.
 
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