BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team improved to 11-3 by defeating Illinois (4-2) and San Diego State (3-1) on Saturday in the Purple and Gold Challenge at Tiger Park.
 
The Bulldogs' bats came alive as they collected a combined 21 hits in the two wins.
 
In the 3-1 victory over San Diego State, Louisiana Tech's three-run fourth inning was the difference-maker. During the inning, the Bulldogs sent seven batters to the plate and scored three runs courtesy of a Caroline Easom double and singles by Aubree Seaney, Nicole Hammoude and Kylie Neel. Katelin Cooper also recorded an RBI with a groundout in the inning. Claire Raley (2-4, 3B), Hammoude (2-4), and Neel (2-2) all recorded multiple hits in the game.
 
During the win over the Fighting Illini, Alannah Rogers, and Seaney both had three hits in the contest to tie their single-game career highs. Rogers went 3-5, and Seaney went 3-4 with a run scored. Easom had a 2-4 effort at the plate with an RBI, while Hammoude went 2-3 with an RBI double that gave the Bulldogs the lead. Neel also drove in a run in the game.
 
Brook Melnychuk earned victories in both contests to improve to 5-2. The redshirt junior struck out two while allowing just one run on six hits and two walks in five innings pitched in the win over Illinois. Melnychuk pitched three scoreless innings in relief while allowing just one hit combined with one strikeout in the victory over San Diego State.
 
Allie Floyd earned her third and fourth saves of the season.

NOTABLES
- Caroline Easom is on a six-game hitting streak and recorded her 32^nd career multi-hit game by going 2-4 with an RBI against Illinois.
- Nicole Hammoude and Aubree Seaney also recorded multiple hits against Illinois, marking the fourth and 11^th time they have accomplished the feat in their career.
- Hammoude would collect multiple hits in the win over San Diego State as well for her fifth career multi-hit game.
- Alannah Rogers increased her reached-base streak to 13 games with a single to lead off the game against Illinois. Rogers singled three times in the contest, marking her third career multi-hit game. Her three hits tied her career high that she set earlier this season against Missouri State (Feb. 26).
- Kylie Neel had her second multi-hit game this season with two singles in the win over San Diego State. It was the 29^th multi-hit game of her career.
- Aubree Seaney tied a career high with three hits against Illinois. She previously accomplished the feat against East Carolina on April 23, 2021 while at Tulsa.
- Allie Floyd picked up the seventh save of her career against Illinois, tying Pauline Tufi for second most in program history. Floyd then moved into sole possession of second place in the record books with her eighth save in the win over San Diego State. Preslee Gallaway is the all-time career leader in saves for Louisiana Tech with 15.
- The Bulldogs eight hits against San Diego State ace Allie Light were the second most hits she has allowed in her collegiate career.
- Allie Floyd has now matched her save total from a year ago with four.
- Louisiana Tech is 468-170 when scoring first since 2000 and 59-10 when scoring first under Josh Taylor.
- The Bulldogs are now 82-47 under head coach Josh Taylor who owns a career head coaching record of 315-215.
- Louisiana Tech has now won 1,285 games all time.
- LA Tech leads the all-time series with the Illini, 2-1.

QUOTABLES
On the day…
"I am proud of how our girls played today. We had contributions throughout the lineup and competed at the plate. Defensively we looked good. Nicole Hammoude had some nice plays at shortstop and we supported our pitchers by playing solid defense. Our pitchers were great as well. Brook (Melnychuk) was impressive in both wins and Allie Floyd came out of the bullpen twice to earn a save. Lauren Menzina gave us a great start in the win over San Diego State and really set the tone in the circle during the game"– head coach Josh Taylor.
 
GAME TWO
Lauren Menzina made her second start of the season for Tech, while San Diego State went with their ace, Allie Light. Light was the 2023 Mountian West Pitcher of the Year and the 2024 Mountian West Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
 
Menzina was magnificent in her two innings of work, allowing no runs and two hits while striking out two Aztecs.
 
Alexis Gilio's two-out single in the top of the first inning was the first hit of the ballgame. In the bottom of the first, the Aztecs (8-10) put a pair of runners on courtesy of a walk and a single but that is all they would get.
 
In the top of the second, Nicole Hammoude and Kylie Neel each singled with one out, but Light escaped unscathed. Menzina faced the minimum in the bottom half with a strikeout and an inning-ending double play from Caroline Easom.
 
Claire Raley singled through the 5.5 hole for the Bulldogs' lone hit in the top of the third. Brook Melnychuk relieved Menzina in the third with a 1-2-3 inning capped by an impressive play by Hammoude on a high chopper to end the inning.
 
The Bulldogs broke through in the top of the fourth. Easom doubled into left-center field to lead off the inning. Olivia Ellingson pinch-ran for Easom after the double. Aubree Seaney would follow with a single through the right side to put runners on the corner with no outs. Jina Baffuto would enter in place of Seaney to pinch run at first. Hammoude would come through again with an RBI single that fell in shallow left field to give Tech the 1-0 lead. Neel then singled through the right side to increase the lead to 2-0 before Katelin Cooper extended the lead to 3-0 with a groundout to second base.

The Aztecs pulled Light with LA Tech up 2-0 with no outs in the fourth. She would be charged with the loss after being responsible for three runs on eight hits in three innings pitched.

Both sides were retired in order in the fifth inning.

Neel was hit by a pitch with two outs in the top of the sixth to reach base for the third time in the game. Allie Floyd relieved Melnychuk to pitch the sixth. Floyd worked quickly by striking out the Aztecs' Lala Macario for the first out of the inning. Following a flyout, San Diego State put a baserunner on with two outs when Mac Barbara reached on an error. Floyd concluded the inning by getting the Aztecs' Angie Yellen to strike out looking.
 
With two outs in the top of the seventh, Raley tripled to right-centerfield. Alexis Gilio just missed making it 4-0 as she sent a ground ball down the first base line that was foul by inches but would be retired instead to end the inning.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Floyd issued a flyout to center field to start the inning before hitting Alyssa Garcia with a pitch. San Diego State would then pinch-run Ally Dueker for Gracia. Dueker took second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a ground out. Jade Icnacio made it a 3-1 game with an RBI single up the middle that scored Dueker. Macy Keester stepped to the plate, representing the tying run, but Floyd would get her to fly out to Cooper in left as Tech improved to 11-3.  
 
GAME ONE
Brook Melnychuk made her fifth start this season for LA Tech, while Lauren Wiles got the nod for Illinois (5-8).
 
Alannah Rogers led off the game with a single through the left side. In the bottom of the first, the Illini put two runners on, but Melnychuk kept them at bay.
 
Tech threatened in the second but left the bases loaded. Aubree Seaney singled down the left-field line to lead off the frame. She would later be replaced at first by Kylie Neel, who hit into a fielder's choice for the second out in the inning. Karolyn Glover singled, and Katelin Cooper walked to load the bases, but Illinois would escape the jam as Wiles issued a groundout to keep Tech off the board.
 
Claire Raley tripled to center field to lead off the third inning. She would later come around to score on an RBI single from Caroline Easom. Nicole Hammoude singled with two outs, courtesy of a check-swing single that found its way past the Illinois first baseman.
 
Yazzy Avila led off the bottom of the third with a single up the middle. Kelly Ryono would walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Melnychuk bounced back by issuing a strikeout and a ground out. Abby Ryniec singled to the left centerfield gap to drive in a run and tie the game.
 
Rogers singled to right field with two outs in the top of the fourth for her second hit of the game, but that is all that Tech could muster. Melnychuk spun a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth by issuing a strikeout, groundout, and infield popup.
 
The Bulldogs went back in front in the top of the fifth. Easom started the rally with a single through the left side. Aubree Seaney then singled up the middle to put runners on first and second with one out. Nicole Hammoude gave Tech the lead with an RBI double into the left-center field gap before Kylie Neel made it 3-1 with a groundout to shortstop.
 
Melnychuk pitched another scoreless frame in the bottom of the fifth, which was highlighted by a catch in shallow left field by Hammoude. The Illini's Stevie Meade flew out to Katelin Cooper on the warning track in left to end the inning.
 
Cooper led off the sixth with a single through the right side before Rogers laid down a textbook bunt single along the first base line. Alexis Gilio moved Cooper to third with a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning. Cooper would then come around to score on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 4-1 in favor of the Bulldogs.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Illini had back-to-back singles from Ryniec and Adisyn Caryl to start the frame. Allie Floyd entered the game for Melnychuk and got Paige Berkmeye to pop up to Hammoude at shortstop for the first out of the inning. She then struck out Megan Ward before the Illini's Eileen Donahue singled to left to load the bases with two outs. Floyd issued a fly out to left field to end the inning and escape unscathed.
 
Seaney led off the seventh with a single to center field for her third hit of the game. Following the walk, a pitch hit Hammoude, and Neel reached on an error to load the bases with no outs, but the Bulldogs could not capitalize as the next three hitters were retired in order.
 
Ryono led off the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle for Illinois. Floyd got Delaney Mosley to ground out to Easom for the first out of the inning. Stevie Meade drove in Ryono with a single to center field to make it 4-2. However, Meade would be caught in a rundown between first and second for the second out of the inning. Ryniec followed with a single to left to bring the tying run to the plate in Adisyn Carl, who hit a dribbler down the first base line that Floyd fielded and tossed to Seaney at first for the final out of the game.

Melnychuk (5-2) earned the win for LA Tech while Wiles (2-4) took the loss for Illinois.

NEXT UP
The Bulldogs will conclude the Purple and Gold Challenge tomorrow by facing McNeese (12:30 p.m.) and No. 5 LSU (5:30 p.m.).

For all the latest in Bulldog Softball, follow them on Twitter (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB) and Facebook (Louisiana Tech Softball) or visit the official website at LATechSports.com.