BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team concluded its regular season with a thrilling 6-3, 13-inning win over Western Kentucky in the series finale to split the Saturday doubleheader at the WKU Softball Field. Tech dropped game one of the doubleheader 5-3 before rebounding with the resilient extra-innings win.

Brook Melnychuk was the story of game two as the junior right-hander used a heroic relief effort to pick up her sixth win of the season. The Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan native tossed a career-high eight scoreless innings in relief, allowing just two hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

Tech finally broke things open in the 13th inning of game two when Katelin Cooper hit a solo home run to put the Techsters up 4-3 before Jordyn Manning tripled home Caroline Easom and later scored on a ground ball to make it the final 6-3. Easom tied a career-high with three hits and a two-run home run, while Manning posted her third consecutive multi-hit game. Cooper and KB Briley also posted multiple hits in the win.

Bailey Wright was phenomenal defensively in the doubleheader today. The Morrilton, Ark., product had 13 assists and two putouts. On the day, Wright went 4-8 at the plate with a double and a run scored. Manning went 4-8 with a double, a triple, three RBI and a run scored.

In game one, Alannah Rogers recorded her first career multi-hit game with a pair of singles.

The Lady Techsters finished the regular season with a 32-23 record including a 13-11 mark in Conference USA play. 

NOTABLES
- Sierra Sacco increased her reached-base streak to 18-games with a walk in the seventh inning of game one and a single in game two. She increased her consecutive-starts streak to 114 games.
- Louisiana Tech is now 23-2 when outhitting its opponents.
- Katelin Cooper hit her team-leading ninth home run of the season in the 13^th inning of game two.
- Caroline Easom hit her second home run of the season with a two-run shot to left field in the top of the fourth of game two. The homer was Easom's sixth of her career. Easom tied a career high with three hits in game two.
- Alannah Rogers recorded her first career multi-hit game with two singles in game one.
- Jordyn Manning recorded her third-consecutive multi-hit game, marking her seventh multi-hit game of the season with a pair of singles in game one and a triple and double in game two.
- Bailey Wright had a career-high three hits with a double and two singles in game one.
- The game two win was the 774^th all time away from Ruston and 1,292^nd in program history.
- Tech now leads the all-time series 10-7 over Western Kentucky.
- Brook Melnychuk's eight innings pitched in game set a new career high, eclipsing her previous mark of seven during a complete-game win at UTEP on April 22.
- The Lady Techsters are now 3-3 this season in extra-inning games.
- The 13 inning marathon was the longest game for LA Tech since they defeated Northwestern State in 15 innings on April 27, 2021 in Natchitoches.

GAME TWO
Lauren Menzina made the start in the series finale, while Western Kentucky went with Kelsie Houchens.
 
Sierra Sacco led off the game with a single down the left field line. Menzina breezed through the Hilltoppers in the bottom of the first, facing the minimum.
 
A single by the Hilltoppers' Brylee Hage was the only hit of the second inning.
 
Sacco reached base again on a two-out walk in the top of the third. Western Kentucky took the early 2-0 lead with two runs in bottom of the third courtesy of a throwing error, a fielding error and two hits.
 
KB Briley singled with one out in the fourth, on a blooper to shallow right field. Caroline Easom then knotted things up with a two-run shot to left field.
 
Mary Martinez relieved Menzina in the bottom of the fourth inning by retiring the Hilltoppers in order.
 
Sacco walked and stole second in the top of the fifth inning for her 36th stolen base of the season. WKU took the 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run by Faith Hegh.
 
With two outs in the sixth inning, Caroline Easom doubled to right-centerfield for her second extra-base hit of the game.
 
Jordyn Manning then stepped to the plate and continued her tear with a double down the left field line that scored Easom and tied the game at 3-3.
 
Brook Melnychuk came in to pitch the sixth and issued a leadoff single to start the bottom half before settling in and retiring three straight WKU batters.
 
Alannah Rogers drew a walk with one out in the seventh for the lone Tech baserunner of the inning.
 
Impressive defensive plays from Bailey Wright at third base and Katelin Cooper in left field highlighted a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh by Melnychuk.
 
Briley recorded her second hit of the game with a one-out single into centerfield in the top of the eighth. Bailey Wright made another impressive play at third, this time backhanding a hard-hit ground ball and firing it across the diamond to Jordyn Manning to retire TJ Webster of WKU.
 
Brooke Diaz reached on an error in the top of the eighth, and Bailey Wright walked but Tech could not break through and the game remained deadlocked at three.
 
Melnychuk tossed a scoreless bottom half, with her only blemish being a single by Hage.
 
Cooper singled with one out in the 10th, but WKU quickly escaped the inning by generating a 6-3 ground ball double play.
Caroline Easom led off with a single in the top of the 11th and made it to third before WKU got back-to-back outs to end the scoring threat.
 
Melnychuk kept the Hilltoppers off the board in the bottom of the 11th. Neither team could break through in the 12th as the game dragged on.
 
After sixth consecutive scoreless innings, Cooper stepped to the plate in the 13th inning and sent a 2-0 pitch over the centerfield wall to put Tech ahead 4-3. Caroline Easom followed with a walk before Jordyn Manning tripled down the right field line to increase the lead to two. Manning scored a batter later by beating the throw home on a ground ball to shortstop to make it the final 6-3.
 
Melnychuk issued a flyout to Cooper in left for the first out of bottom of the 13th inning. Taylor Davis then walked before Webster hit into a 6-3 double play to end it.
 
Melnychuk earned the win after her heroic relief performance to improve to 6-8 on the season, while Maddy Wood took the loss for WKU to fall to 5-3.
 
GAME ONE
Brook Melnychuk made her 13th start of the season in game one of the doubleheader, while WKU went with Katie Gardner again after she made the start last night.
 
Gardner started with a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first. Faith Hegh reached on a throwing error in the bottom half, and Taylor Davis singled down the left field line to start the inning. Both advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt. Melnychuk then issued a pair of groundouts to Bailey Wright at third to escape the jam and keep WKU off the board.
 
Caroline Easom reached on a walk with one out in the top of the second, marking the first baserunner of the game for Tech.
In the bottom of the second, Bailey Wright made two impressive plays on ground balls at third base as Melnychuk tossed a scoreless frame.
 
Wright singled up the middle with one out in the third. Two batters later, Sierra Sacco reached on an error by the Hilltoppers' second baseman. Amanda Gonzalez appeared to have given Tech the lead by hitting a line drive that landed on the right field line, but it was ruled foul and WKU escaped without damage.
 
A leadoff walk kickstarted a big inning for Western Kentucky in the bottom of the third as the Hilltoppers plated three runs on two hits, two walks, and a hit batter to take a 3-0 lead.
 
The Lady Techsters responded with a run in the fourth. Katelin Cooper reached on a one-out double before scoring a single up the middle by Jordyn Manning to cut the WKU lead to 3-1.
 
Hutchinson used a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fourth.
 
In the top of the fifth, the Lady Techsters threatened as Bailey Wright led off the inning with a single and Alannah Rogers followed with a single to put two on with no outs, but Gardner and the Hilltoppers garnered three-straight outs to put an end to the rally and escape the inning scoreless.
 
Sierra Sacco robbed the Hilltoppers' Kelsey Schmidt of a two-run home run with an incredible catch in centerfield as Hutchinson threw a scoreless fifth.
 
Manning collected her second hit of the game with a two-out single into left field in the top of the sixth. Western Kentucky increased its lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth, courtesy of two runs on three hits and a walk.
 
In the seventh, Wright doubled down the left field line for her third hit of the game. Rogers followed with her second hit of the ballgame before Sacco reached on a walk. With one out, Cooper walked to bring the score to 5-2 before KB Briley made it 5-3 with a sacrifice fly to left field. Gardner issued a flyout to centerfield for the final out of the game, wrapping up a complete game effort and giving Western Kentucky the series win. Melnychuk took the loss for LA Tech, falling to 5-8 on the season.
 
NEXT UP
The Lady Techsters will be back in action on May 10 on the first day of the 2023 Conference USA Tournament at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field. Seeding and pairing have yet to be announced.
 
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.
 
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