Ruston, La. – Propelled by a five-run fifth inning, the Louisiana Tech Softball team defeated Missouri State 7-3 in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
 
With the victory, the Bulldogs took the series against the Bears, three games to one. 
 
In the fifth inning, a sacrifice fly from Caroline Easom tied the game at 3-3 before a pair of two-out two-run doubles from Nicole Hammoude and Alannah Rogers put the game away for good.
 
Alexis Gilio continued her scorching hot performance at the plate by going 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Gilio registered multiple hits during all four games in the series. Easom went 1-2 with two RBI, and Katelin Cooper had a 1-2 day with a walk. Claire Raley also recorded a hit in the win and scored twice.
 
Brook Melnychuk earned the win by striking out four and allowing just one run on one hit and a walk in 5.1 innings of relief to improve to 3-2 on the season. Alyssa Martin started the game for the Bulldogs. Martin struck out two while allowing two runs (one unearned) and four hits in 1.2 innings pitched.

NOTABLES
- Brook Melnychuk picked up her third win of the season by striking out four and allowing one run, one hit and a walk in 5.1 innings of relief.
- Alexis Gilio extended her hitting streak to eight games while recording her fourth-consecutive multi-hit game by going 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored during the victory. She now has 14 career multi-hit games. Gilio has reached base in 10 consecutive games.
- Alannah Rogers doubled in the sixth inning to increase her reached-base streak to a team-best 11 games. Rogers also recorded her second career multi-RBI game with two RBI in the win. The double was Rogers' first in her career.
- Nicole Hammoude recorded her fourth career multi-RBI game with a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth.
- Caroline Easom had two RBI, marking her 15^th career multi-RBI game.
- With the win, LA Tech has now won 524 games at home all time, including 47 at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
- LA Tech is 11-6 all-time against Missouri State.
- The Bulldogs are now 15-10 all time in games played on Feb. 25.
- LA Tech is now 9-0 this season in games started by an opposing right-handed pitcher. It was the 269th win against a right-handed starting pitcher this decade.
- The win was the 1,283rd in program history for Louisiana Tech.

QUOTABLES
On pitching…
"We got a good start out of Alyssa (Martin) today. We wanted to let her get two innings but we had a situation where their best hitter (Olivia Krehbiel) was coming up and we decided to make the change to Melnychuk. We did not play defense behind her really well. We made a nice play at home and did well there but then we threw the ball away which led to a run. She gave us a quality start and she will continue to settle in as she goes. Brook Melnychuk came in and shut it down. It was really nice to see her come in and shut them down in relief to let our offense work a little bit. The five runs in the fifth inning really helped us." – head coach Josh Taylor.

On offensive performances…
"Carol (Easom) had great at-bats this weekend. Alannah Rogers was phenomenal all weekend she had a big hit with the double in the fifth. She was working the count full and getting into plus counts in every at-bat. She understands the strike zone. Gilio as well. Her stand and swing yesterday that resulted in a double led us to a win and today she was able to stand and swing and slap effectively. It was fun to watch. – head coach Josh Taylor.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Alyssa Martin made her second start of the season for Louisiana Tech, while Shelby Houchlei made her first start and appearance of the year for the Bears.
 
MSU centerfielder Abby Ford led off the game with a leadoff single to shortstop. Ford then advanced to second on a passed ball and moved to third on a deep flyout to right-center field from Olivia Krehbiel. With a runner on third and one out, head coach Josh Taylor elected to have the infield play in, which paid off as Tech shortstop Nicole Hammoude fielded a ground ball and threw out Ford at the plate. The Bears plated a run later in the inning when Ellie McCoy advanced to third on a passed ball and took home on a throwing error to make it 1-0 in favor of the guests.
 
In the bottom of the first, Alexis Gilio reached on an error by the MSU second baseman Kelsie Lewis and advanced to second on a wild pitch to give Tech a runner in scoring position with one out. Missouri State left fielder Ellie McCoy made a diving catch to rob Caroline Easom of an extra-base hit and double up Gilio on the play to end the inning.
 
Missouri State (3-9) first baseman, Chloe Merced, reached on a wild pitch on strike three to start the second inning. She would advance to second and third on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a single to left field by Kayla Ulrich to give the Bears a 2-0 lead. Brook Melnychuk entered in relief of Martin with two outs in the inning and struck out Krehbiel to escape the jam. Aubree Seaney walked to lead off the home half for the Dogs' only baserunner in the frame.
 
Melnychuk worked a 1-2-3 third, highlighted by snagging a comebacker and flipping it to first for the second out of the frame. 
 
Makenzi Swick relieved Houchlei to pitch the third. Katelin Cooper walked with one out in the inning and advanced to second on a throwing error that came on a fielder's choice to put two runners on with one out. Gilio singled up the middle to bring home Cooper for the Dogs' first run before Easom singled through the left side to score Raley and tie the game at 2-2.
 
Both teams were retired in order in the fourth.
 
The Bears took the lead in the top of the fifth courtesy of an RBI single from Annie Mueller to go in front 3-2.
 
However, the MSU lead would be shortlived, as Tech answered with five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Claire Raley laid down a perfectly executed bunt single to reach with one out in the inning. Gilio followed with a single to right field for her second hit of the game to advance Raley, who would later take third on an obstruction call before Caroline Easom tied the game with a sacrifice fly down the left field line. Seaney reached on an error a battler later that allowed Gilio to move to second. Nicole Hammoude then crushed a two-run double to center field that put the Bulldogs back in front, 5-3. Following a Kylie Neel walk, Rogers stepped to the plate and doubled off the wall in right-center, scoring Hammoude and Neel to increase the LA Tech lead to 7-3.
 
In the top of the sixth, Melnychuk faced the minimum while striking out two. Katelin Cooper led off the bottom half with a single for the lone hit of the inning.
 
Melnychuk retired seven-straight Bears with a 1-2-3 seventh to earn her third win and improve to 3-2 this season. Gracie Johnston was credited with the loss for Missouri State to fall to 0-8 on the year.

NEXT UP
The Bulldogs will travel to Conway, Ark., for a midweek matchup at Central Arkansas on Wednesday at 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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