RUSTON, La. – Behind a complete game from Sophomore Allie Floyd and five extra-base hits, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs improved to 2-0 with a 4-1 win over Southeastern on Wednesday at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.

Floyd and the Bulldogs (2-0) overwhelmed the Lions (5-1), who came into the contest having outscored opponents 31-0 on the season. The sophomore registered her fourth career complete game, allowing one run on seven hits and no walks while striking out a career-high eight batters during the win to improve to 1-0 on the season. Of the Lions' seven hits, only two left the infield. Floyd struck out 2023 Southland Conference Player of the Year Bailey Krolczyk in all three of her trips to the plate.

Freshman Karli Sellers led the LA Tech effort at the plate by going 2-3 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored. Sellers (2), Caroline Easom, Katelin Cooper, and Nicole Hammoude doubled during the contest. Brooke Diaz's fourth-inning RBI single that brought home Sellers was the only single of the night for LA Tech. Aubree Seaney provided insurance in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Hammoude.

Southeastern starter Chloe Bennett took the loss, falling to 1-1 on the young season. Bennett allowed two runs on two hits and one walk in 1.2 innings of work.

NOTABLES
- Allie Floyd improved to 1-0 this season while striking out a career-high eight batters on her way to registering the fourth complete game of her career.
- Katelin Cooper improved her hitting streak to five games with a sixth-inning double. She also increased her reached-base streak to nine games. Cooper has now doubled in the sixth inning in back-to-back games.
- Karli Sellers recorded her first career hits and first career multi-hit game with a pair of doubles.
- Allie Floyd fanned the 2023 Southland Conference Player of the Year Bailey Krolczyk in all three plate appearances. It was just the second three-strikeout game in Krolczyk's career (120 career games).
- The five doubles were the most by a LA Tech squad since Feb. 12, 2023 when they recorded six in a 6-1 win over SEMO.
- The Bulldog Pitching Staff has now pitched three-straight games without allowing a walk, the first time since March 5-7, 2023 that the feat has been accomplished. It marked the 26^th game that Tech has not allowed a walk under the guidance of pitching coach Chelsea Cohen (2022-now). In those 26 games, the Bulldogs hold a 20-6 record.
- Nicole Hammoude recorded the first stolen base of her career by swiping third in the sixth inning.
- LA Tech is now 53-8 when scoring first under head coach Josh Taylor.
- The win was the Bulldogs' 591^st in a game started by an opposing right-handed pitcher since 2000.
- It marked the 19^th win under Josh Taylor when being out-hit by an opponent.
- With a 5 p.m., start time the Bulldogs' are now 2-0 in night games this season. The win marked the 84^th night-game victory since 2000.
- With the win, Tech has now won 521 games at home all-time, including 44 at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field. 
- The Bulldogs now lead the all-time series with the Lions 51-18.
- The win was the 1,276th all-time for Louisiana Tech.

QUOTABLES
" We had great pitching. We played really good defense tonight and got timely hits. That is how we are going to win. We have to figure out how to do a little better job on the offensive end but the bottom of our order has been clutch this year. We have proven that we have a good solid one through nine. They are all girls that can hit. I am proud of them. We came out and won our first two games. We have pitched how I think we are capable of pitching. I think our offense will just get better and better as the season progresses." – Head Coach Josh Taylor

Josh Taylor

Allie Floyd


HOW IT HAPPENED
Allie Floyd made the first start of her sophomore campaign for LA Tech, while LSU-Eunice transfer Chloe Bennett got the start for Southeastern.

Floyd used four pitches to strike out the Lions' Ka'Lyn Watson to open the game before issuing a groundout to shortstop for the second out of the inning. Maria Detillier legged out an infield single for the game's first baserunner, but that is all they would get as Floyd struck out the reigning Southland Player of the Year in Bailey Krolczyk to end her first frame.

Bennett sat the Bulldogs down in order in the bottom of the first.

Floyd did not allow a single baserunner in the top of the second and struck out two, tying her single-game career-high of four strikeouts.

Caroline Easom smashed a double into the right-centerfield gap for the Bulldogs' first hit of the game. Easom advanced to third with two outs, courtesy of a long flyball in foul territory in right field by Aubree Seaney. Katelin Cooper reached by drawing a walk to put runners on the corners. Freshman Karli Sellers then stepped to the plate and recorded her first collegiate hit by doubling to deep centerfield to drive home both runners and give Louisiana Tech a 2-0 lead.

Bennett was pulled by head coach Rick Fremin and replaced with Mary Cathryn Comeaux with two outs in the inning. Comeaux would pitch 1.1 innings of scoreless softball in relief of Bennett.

In the top of the third, Southeastern cut the LA Tech lead in half by plating one run on three hits to make it 2-1. Floyd escaped a bases-loaded jam to end the inning by getting Krolczyk to strike out swinging. The strikeout was Floyd's fifth of the game, setting a new career high.

Alexis Gilio led off the bottom half with a walk. Gilio quickly swiped second for her second stolen base of the season. However, Southeastern was able to escape unscathed despite allowing the leadoff runner to reach second with no outs in the inning.

Floyd cruised through the fourth by retiring the Lions in order. Tech got a run back in the latter half courtesy of Seller's second double of the game and an RBI single by Brooke Diaz to make it 3-1 in favor of the hosts.

Neither team could make anything happen in the fifth inning as the Lions' Ka'Lyn Watson was the lone baserunner of the frame, courtesy of an infield single.

Floyd faced the minimum in the sixth inning while picking up her seventh strikeout of the night. Nicole Hammoude doubled for the second-consecutive game with one out in the bottom of the sixth. The Cal transfer stole third before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Seaney to give the Dogs a 4-1 lead.

In the seventh, Floyd trotted back to the circle to finish the complete game. She got the Lions' Maddie Watson to ground out to Hammoude at shortstop for the first out of the inning. Southeastern then put runners on the corners due to two infield singles and a throwing error. With the Lions threatening, Southeastern head coach Rick Fremin signaled for Cam Goodwin to steal second, which proved unsuccessful as Diaz threw her out for the second out of the inning. Floyd then struck out Addison Contorno for the game's final out as the Bulldogs improved to 2-0.
 
NEXT UP
The Bulldogs are back in action on Friday when they play Lindenwood (11 a.m.) and ULM (5 p.m.) at the Warhawk Invitational in Monroe, La.
 
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