OXFORD, Miss. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team dropped its doubleheader at Ole Miss, falling to the Rebels 7-3 in game one before dropping a 13-inning marathon 6-5 in the nightcap.

The Bulldogs (26-14, 9-6 CUSA) were one out away from winning the nightcap in the bottom of the ninth, when Ole Miss (25-19, 3-12 SEC) first baseman Paige Smith hit a flare that fell in shallow right-center field allowing two runs to score to tie the game.

Ole Miss would later walk it off with two outs in the 13^th inning when Aynslie Forbush hit a ground ball RBI single up the middle that brought home the game-winning run.

Alannah Rogers led Tech in the nightcap by going 3-7 with a double and three RBI. Alexis Gilio (2-5, 1 BB), Aubree Seaney (2-6, 1 R) and Brooke Diaz (2-5) also recorded multiple hits in the loss.

Allie Floyd (6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 2 K) started in game two and would also re-enter in relief. Brook Melnychuk (4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) and Mattison Buster (1.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 K) also pitched. Buster was credited with the loss despite allowing an earned run.

The long ball was a thorn in the Bulldogs' pitchers' side as Ole Miss hit three round trippers in game one. LA Tech also stranded a total of 10 baserunners in the loss. Kylie Neel (2-4, RBI, 1 2B), Nicole Hammoude (2-4, 1 RBI) and Aubree Seaney (2-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB) all recorded multiple hits and an RBI in the loss.

The Bulldogs' used a variety of arms in the first game. Buster started in the circle and took the loss while Lauren Menzina (2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K), Emma Hutchinson (1 IP, 3 H, 1 K) and Alyssa Martin (2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER) appeared in relief.
 
NOTABLES
- Alannah Rogers had three hits in the night cap to tie a career high while driving in three runs.
- Kylie Neel registered her 34^th career multi-hit game and drove in a run for the fourth-straight game in the first contest against the Rebels.
- Aubree Seaney and Nicole Hammoude both recorded multiple hits in game one registering their 15 and eighth career multi-hit games respectively. Seaney also recorded two hits in game two to earn her 16^th career multi-hit game.
- The Bulldogs are 97-58 under head coach Josh Taylor who owns a career head coaching record of 330-226.

QUOTABLES
On the doubleheader…
"We have to find a way to get off the bus and compete in second we enter the ballpark. We had big moments but I also think we have a lot to learn when it comes to playing the game of softball the right way. As long as we take these moments as learning moments then the program will continue to grow and that is what we are looking for." - head coach Josh Taylor

GAME TWO
LA Tech went with its ace Allie Floyd for game two, while Ole Miss started Catelyn Riley.
 
Alexis Gilio singled with two outs in the top of the first inning to increase her hitting streak to five games.
 
In the bottom of the first, Jalia Lassiter hit a leadoff home run. Ole Miss then plated another run with a bases-loaded walk to go ahead 2-0.
 
Aubree Seaney reached on an error by Riley for the Bulldogs' lone baserunner in the second inning. Floyd retired the Rebels in order in the bottom of the second inning courtesy of a lineout, groundout, and popup.
 
Alannah Rogers singled, and Claire Raley walked with one out in the third before Riley got a pair of groundouts to escape the inning unscathed. Floyd pitched two consecutive scoreless innings, striking out the Rebels' Lexie Brady for the first out of the frame.
 
With one out in the fourth, Seaney drove a line drive through the 5.5 hole for a single. Caroline Easom reached on an error, and Brooke Diaz singled through the right side to load the bases. Following the Diaz single, Olivia Ellingson and Jina Baffuto pinch-ran for Easom and Diaz. Katelin Cooper made it 2-1 with a sacrifice fly in foul territory near the left field wall. Rogers then smashed a 1-2 pitch into left-center field that scored Ellingson and Baffuto to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. After Rogers' double, Ole Miss pulled Riley and put in left-hander Brianna Lopez.
 
Annie Orman stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the fourth. With the count at 3-1, Orman crushed a pitch to deep center field that looked to be leaving the yard, but Alexis Gilio had other plans and made a leaping grab against the wall in center field to take a home run away from Orman. It was the second home run Gilio had robbed this season, as she had recently robbed a two-run home run in a 4-2 win at Jacksonville State on Saturday. After an Ole Miss single, Floyd settled in and issued a strikeout and a ground out to record her third-straight scoreless frame.
Tech was retired in order in the top of the fifth. The Rebels tied the game at 3-3 with a one-out RBI single from Smith.
 
In the top of the sixth, Diaz singled to left field for her second hit of the game, but that was all the Bulldogs would get. Melnychuk retired the Rebels in order in the bottom half while picking up her second strikeout of the night.
 
The Bulldogs were sent down in order in the seventh. Alexa Rosales drew a pinch-hit leadoff walk before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. Rosales took third on a groundout, but Melnychuk buckled down and got Lexie Brady to line out to Easom at second base.
 
Lopez pitched back-to-back 1-2-3 innings, retiring the Bulldogs in order in the top of the eighth. Two-out singles by Delaney Rummell and Orman were all Ole Miss would get in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Easom led off the ninth inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Diaz. Gentry Spinks then drew a pinch-hit walk to put runners on first and second. Katelin Cooper re-entered the game to run for Spinks following the walk. Rogers then put Tech ahead for the second time in the contest with an RBI single that scored Easom from second and moved Cooper to third. Claire Raley provided insurance with a sacrifice fly to deep right-center field that brought home Cooper to give the Bulldogs a 5-3 lead. Aynslie Furbush relieved Lopez with two outs in the inning.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Melnychuk issued a groundout to Easom for the first out of the inning before striking out Lassiter for out No. 2. Ole Miss put two on courtesy of a bunt single by Jaden Pone and a hit batter. Floyd entered the game in relief, with runners on first and second. Ole Miss tied the game on Smith's flared single to right field.
 
Both teams were kept off the board in the 10th inning. Tech was sent down in order, and Ole Miss put on Orman with a walk, but that was it for the hosts.
 
LA Tech went down in order during the 11th. Lassiter walked to lead off the bottom of the 11th and advanced to second on a groundout by Pone and took third on a groundout to Floyd. However, Tech would escape the inning as Floyd issued a flyout to right field.
 
In the top of 12th, Gilio reached on a one-out single to shortstop. Mattison Buster relieved Floyd in the bottom of the 12th and would allow a pair of two-out singles while keeping the Rebels off the board.
 
Seaney led off the 13th with a single to first base. Easom would move her to second with a sacrifice bunt, but that is as far as Seaney would get. Cooper walked with two outs before Furbush got an inning-ending strikeout.
 
Buster trotted back out to the circle for the home half of the 13th. Diaz made an impressive catch in foul territory for the first out. Pone singled to center field with one out before Lexi Brady popped out to Easom at second. Buster issued a ground ball that the Bulldogs made an error on, extending the inning. Furbush stepped to the plate and gave herself and the Rebels the win with a walk-off ground ball RBI single up the middle to make it the final, 6-5.
 
GAME ONE
Louisiana Tech started freshman Mattison Buster for the seventh time this season, while Ole Miss started sophomore Grace Sparks.
 
In the top of the first, Sparks retired the Bulldogs in order courtesy of a strikeout and two groundouts.
 
Jalia Lassiter led off the home half with a single to left-center field before stealing second and advancing to third on a groundout for the first out of the inning. Lexie Brady walked to put runners on the corners with one out. Ole Miss took the early 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly from Paige Smith. An RBI single by Delaney Rummell increased the hosts' lead to 2-0. Following the single by Rummell, pitching coach Chelsea Cohen made a pitching change and brought Lauren Menzina in for Buster. After issuing a walk, Menzina got a groundout to Hammoude at shortstop to escape a bases-loaded jam and minimize the damage.
 
Sparks retired six straight Tech batters with a 1-2-3 second. Menzina spun a scoreless frame of her own, capped by a strikeout in the bottom half, to keep the Rebels at bay.
 
Brooke Diaz singled with two outs in the top of the third to increase her hitting streak to four games. Smith homered to lead off the bottom half. A one-out RBI double from Annie Orman increased the Rebels' lead to 4-0.
 
In the top of the fourth, Claire Raley led off the inning with an infield single to shortstop. Alexis Gilio followed with a walk. Kyle Neel doubled to right-center field to bring in Raley. A batter later, Nicole Hammoude singled through the left side to cut the Ole Miss lead to 4-2. Following the Hammoude single, Aubree Seaney walked, and Ole Miss made a pitching change and brought in Brianna Lopez, who would escape the jam by retiring the next three.
 
Emma Hutchinson came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth. Lassiter made it 5-2 in favor of Ole Miss with a solo home run off the scoreboard in left-center field.
 
With two outs in the top of the fifth, Gilio beat out an infield single to shortstop, and Neel singled to right, but that was all Tech would get as Lopez ended the inning with a strikeout.
 
Alyssa Martin relieved Hutchinson in the bottom of the fifth and spun a 1-2-3 inning.
 
Aubree Seaney led off the sixth inning with a seeing-eye single through the right side. Caroline Easom battled through a 10-pitch at-bat to draw a walk and put runners on first and second with no outs. Brooke Diaz looked to load the bases when a pitch hit her, but home plate umpire Aaron Golden ruled that Diaz leaned into the pitch. As a result, the count went to 3-2 before Lopez issued a flyout to center field for the first out of the inning. Ole Miss and Lopez escaped the inning with a groundout and a flyout.
 
In the home half, Lexie Brady's two-run home run increased the Rebels' lead to 7-2.
 
In the seventh, Gilio drew a one-out walk. With two outs, Hammoude singled through the left side before Aubree Seaney made it a 7-3 game with an RBI single down the right-field line that scored Gilio. After the Seaney single, Ole Miss brought in Aynslie Furbush, who got the final out of the contest with a lineout to third base.

NEXT UP
The Bulldogs return home to host UTEP on alumni weekend April 19-21 at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
 
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