BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team wrapped up its final day at the Purple and Gold Challenge with an 8-0 run-rule win over McNeese (6 inn.) and a 2-0 loss to No. 4 LSU on Sunday at Tiger Park.
 
The Bulldogs (12-4) finished the Purple and Gold Challenge with a 3-2 mark that included wins over 2023 NCAA Regional participant McNeese, 2023 Super Regional participant San Diego State and Illinois.
 
In its first game of the day, Louisiana Tech exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to run-rule McNeese. The seven runs came courtesy of five hits, two errors, and a walk as the Bulldogs batted around in the inning. Alexis Gilio led off the frame with a bunt single and would have a two-out, two-run double later in the inning. Caroline Easom's single through the left side of the infield completed the run rule and ended the game. Gilio led the way at the plate by going 3-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Easom (2-4, 2 RBI) and Alannah Rogers (2-4, 1 R) would also record multiple hits in the victory.
 
Allie Floyd earned her fifth victory of the season against McNeese (12-8) by shutting out the Cowgirls, allowing five hits and no walks in six innings of work. Floyd's win improved her record to 5-1 this season.
 
The Bulldogs battled in the 2-0 loss to No. 4 LSU. Brook Melnyhcuk was impressive in her sixth start of the season. The redshirt junior went 5.1 innings while striking out three and allowing two runs on five hits and one walk. The Bulldogs' defense was stellar playing behind Melnychuk, as shortstop Nicole Hammoude had a plethora of exciting plays in the contest.
 
Offensively, the Tech bats could not overcome LSU starting pitcher Kelley Lynch, who tossed a complete game shutout. Kylie Neel and Gilio both recorded hits in the loss, and Alannah Rogers reached base courtesy of a walk to lead off the game.

NOTABLES
- Caroline Easom recorded her 33^rd career multi-hit game by going 2-4 with an 2 RBI against McNeese.
- Alannah Rogers had two hits against McNeese, marking her fourth career multi-hit game.
- Alexis Gilio tied a career-high with three hits in the victory over McNeese. She has accomplished the feat six times in her career.
- Allie Floyd did not walk any batters in the win over McNeese, marking the 29^th time under pitching coach Chelsea Cohen that LA Tech has not walked a single batter in a game. The Bulldogs are 23-6 in those games.
- The Bulldogs are now 21-14 all-time in games played on March 3.
- Alexis Gilio and Kylie Neel recorded hits in both contests and own three-game hitting streaks.
- Louisiana Tech is 469-170 when scoring first since 2000 and 60-10 when scoring first under Josh Taylor.
- The Bulldogs are now 83-48 under head coach Josh Taylor who owns a career head coaching record of 316-216.
- Louisiana Tech has now won 1,286 games all time.
- The Bulldogs lead the all-time series with McNeese 58-31.

QUOTABLES
On the day…
"We battled today and fell a little short in the second game. I am very pleased with how we have competed the last few days and feel that if we continue to compete at that level the rest of the season we have a bright future."– head coach Josh Taylor.
 
GAME ONE
Allie Floyd made her fifth start of the season against McNeese while the Cowgirls rolled out their ace in Ryann Schexnayder.
 
Floyd kept McNeese off the board in its first trip to the plate. Nicole Hammoude made an incredible inning-ending double play with an over-the-shoulder catch on a shallow popup behind second base before firing it to first to double up the retreating runner.
 
Alannah Rogers led off the bottom of the first with a single down the left field line. She would advance to second on Alexis Gilio's groundout, representing the second out of the inning. Caroline Easom stepped to the plate and gave Tech the early 1-0 lead with a single to center field that brought home Rogers.
 
A leadoff single by the Cowgirls' Alexis Dibbley was the only damage Floyd would encounter in the second inning. She struck out Reese Reyna to end the inning. Schexnayder sent the Bulldogs down in order in the bottom of the second.
 
Floyd made it three straight scoreless innings in the third. In the bottom half, Alexis Gilio beat out a ground ball to third base for an infield single.
 
The fourth was highlighted by Aubree Seaney snaring a lined shot to end the top half. Schexnayder retired the Bulldogs in order in the bottom of the fourth.
 
In the fifth, Floyd registered her first 1-2-3 inning of the day, courtesy of a popout, flyout and lineout. In the bottom half, Katelin Cooper drew a two-out walk, and Alannah Rogers followed with a single to left-center field for her second hit of the day.
 
Samantha Mundine had a one-out single through the right side in the top of the sixth. Floyd was unfazed, however, as she issued a foul out and fly out to end the inning.
 
The Bulldogs exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to run-rule the Cowgirls. Gilio led off the bottom of the inning with a bunt single before advancing to second on an error by the McNeese second baseman. Seaney then laid down a bunt that McNeese threw away trying to catch Gilio at third, which allowed her to score, increasing the lead to 2-0. Hammoude made it 3-0 with an RBI double into the left-center field gap. The Bulldogs added two more courtesy of an RBI single from Kylie Neel and a walk from Cooper. Following a foul out and a fly out, Gilio laced a double into the left-center field gap, which scored two and gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead. Caroline Easom stepped to the plate and singled through the left side to bring home the Dogs' seventh run of the inning and give Louisiana Tech the 8-0 walk-off run-run win.

Floyd earned the victory to improve to 5-1 on the season for Tech while Schexnayder suffered her first loss of the season to drop to 4-1 for McNeese.

GAME TWO
Brook Melnychuk made her sixth start of the season for Louisiana Tech. LSU (19-0) went with right-handed pitcher Kelley Lynch for the fourth time this year.
 
Alannah Rogers led off the game with her 10th walk of the season, but that was all LA Tech would get in its first trip to the plate. Brook Melnychuk used a 1-2-3 inning to get through the first, striking out the Tigers' Ali Newland for the second out of the inning.
 
In the second inning, Nicole Hammoude was robbed of a potential extra-base hit by LSU first baseman Raeleen Gutierrez. With two outs in the top half, Kylie Neel singled up the middle for the first hit of the ballgame. Melnychuk kept cruising in the bottom half. McKenzie Redoutey would walk with one out in the inning for the Tigers' first base runner of the contest. Melnychuk would get Maddox McKee to strike out looking to end the inning.
 
Lynch would strike out the side in the top half. Melnychuk worked through a leadoff single in a scoreless third. Claire Raley made two impressive plays at third on a bunt and a ground ball during the inning.
 
Lynch made it seven straight Bulldogs retired with a 1-2-3 fourth inning. Taylor Pleasants led off the home half with a single to center field, and Raeleen Gutierrez followed with a bloop single to left field to put two on with no outs. Melnychuk would buckle down and retire the next three batters by issuing a strikeout and two flyouts to escape unscathed. 
 
In the fifth, Hammoude and Brooke Diaz both hit balls hard but right at the Tigers as Tech went down in order. Melnychuk sat LSU down in order in the bottom of the fifth. Hammoude made an incredible play by fielding a ground ball in the hole at shortstop and firing it across the diamond to catch the speedy Ciarra Briggs to end the fifth.
 
Lynch completed another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth. LSU broke through in the bottom half for the game's only two runs. With one out, Pleasants lined a single up the middle and would advance to second on a single by Gutierrez. Allie Floyd then entered the game in relief of Melnychuk. Floyd would strike out Retoudey for the second out of the inning. Maci Bergeron then hit a bloop single in right field that dropped for a base hit and scored both baserunners to give the Tigers (19-0) the 2-0 lead and, ultimately, a win.
 
Alexis Gilio led off the seventh with a bunt single, but Lynch then issued a 6-3 double play and a strikeout to end the game as Tech fell to 12-4.
 
Melnychuk took the loss to fall to 5-3 on the season despite a herculean effort in the circle. She struck out three and allowed two runs on five hits in 5.1 innings pitched. Lynch improved to 3-0 with the win for LSU.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Tuesday when they visit McNeese at 6 p.m.
 
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