LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team wrapped up its six-game road trip with a thrilling 3-1 win over McNeese at the Cowgirl Diamond on Tuesday night.
 
The Bulldogs (13-4) used a total team effort to earn the road win as six different players recorded hits, and eight of nine starters reached base in the contest.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the top of the fifth inning, Nicole Hammoude stepped to the plate and hit a tape-measure solo home run to center field, tying the game 1-1. Tech put two more base runners on courtesy of Kylie Neel reaching on an error and Katelin Cooper drawing a walk. With one out in the inning, Alannah Rogers laced a double off the right-center field wall that scored Cooper and Neel to give the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead which they would not surrender.
 
The all-hands-on deck endeavor extended to the pitching circle. Lauren Menzina had another quality start, allowing a run and five hits in two innings pitched. Freshman Mattison Buster (1-0) recorded her first career win by throwing 2.2 scoreless innings in relief, surrendering just two hits and striking out two and Brook Melnychuk was dominant in relief of Buster. Melnychuk earned her first career save of the season by retiring all seven batters faced while striking out two.
 
Starter Lindsay Davis took the loss for McNeese (12-9), dropping to 2-4 on the year.

NOTABLES
- Kylie Neel singled up the middle in the sixth inning to increase her hitting streak to four games.
- Alexis Gilio singled in the fourth inning to increase her hitting streak to four games.
- Alannah Rogers had her third career multi-RBI game with a two-run double in the fifth.
- The Bulldogs are now 19-12 all-time in games played on March 5.
- Nicole Hammoude hit her first home run as a Bulldogs with a solo shot in the fifth. It was her third collegiate home run.
- The Bulldogs are now 84-48 under head coach Josh Taylor who owns a career head coaching record of 317-216.
- Brook Melnychuk earned her first career save by retiring all seven batters faced in relief.
- Tech has not committed an error in its last three games, its longest streak since April 16-23, 2023 when they went four straight games without committing an error.
- Mattison Buster earned her first collegiate win.
- Louisiana Tech has now won 1,287 games all time.
- The Bulldogs lead the all-time series with McNeese 59-31.

QUOTABLES
On the victory…
"Pitching, defense and timely hitting. That is what we talk about all the time and we got all three. We got a great start from Lauren Menzina. Mattison Buster came in in a tough situation and limited the damage to one run. Nicole (Hammoude) coming out in the top of the fifth and hitting the solo home run to tie it got our offense excited and going. Alannah Rogers had the big two-run double and there was our timely hitting to get it done. Brook Melnychuk coming in on the backside and shutting the door which was the plan. Things don't go to plan very often but it certainly did in our favor with how we ran our pitching today."– head coach Josh Taylor.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Lauren Menzina made her third start of the year for Tech, while McNeese went with right-handed sophomore Lindsay Davis.
 
With one out in the top of the first inning, Claire Raley singled up the middle for the game's first hit. Raley's single was all the Dogs would get in their first plate appearances.
 
McNeese threatened in the bottom half. Samantha Mundine and Alexis Dibbley recorded back-to-back singles with no outs in the inning and would advance to second and third on a flyout. Menzina and the Bulldogs escaped by getting Rylie Bouvier to ground out to Caroline Easom at second.

Davis sent the Bulldogs down in order in the second inning. Menzina spun another scoreless frame in the bottom of the second, highlighted by impressive defense from the left side of the infield in Raley and shortstop Nicole Hammoude.
 
Karolyn Glover drew a leadoff walk in the third inning and was pinch-ran for by Olivia Ellingson. With one out, Alannah Rogers belted a double to center field that momentarily gave Tech a 1-0 lead, but the umpires said that the runner on first left early, and it was all for naught. McNeese then got a ground out to end the inning. The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly from Bouvier.
 
Mattison Buster relieved Melnychuk with no outs in the bottom of the third inning.
 
In the top of the fourth inning, Alexis Gilio singled up the middle to increase her hitting streak to four games. Buster cruised through the home half as Raley turned an inning-ending double play by snagging a line drive and throwing out the retreating runner at first base.
 
Hammoude hit a solo home run to center field to tie the game at 1-1 with no outs in the top of the fifth. The home run was Hammoude's first as a Bulldog. Kylie Neel reached on an error, and Katelin Cooper drew a one-out walk. Rogers stepped to the plate and smashed a double off the right-center field wall to drive in both and give the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Cowgirls put runners on second and third courtesy of a single and double. With two outs in the inning, Brook Melnychuk entered the circle in relief of Mattison Buster and blew three fastballs by McNeese's Crislyne Moreno for an inning-ending strikeout.
 
Caroline Easom and Kylie Neel both singled in the top of the sixth, but McNeese was able to keep the Dogs off the board. Melnychuk retired the Pokes in order in the bottom half.
 
Cooper drew her second walk of the game to lead off the seventh and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rogers, but the Cowgirls would turn a 9-5 double play to escape unscathed. Melnychuk slammed the door on McNeese (12-9) with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh as the Bulldogs improved to 13-4.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs return home to open Conference USA play by hosting Sam Houston for a three-game series, beginning Friday at 6 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.