NATCHITOCHES, La. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team fell to Northwestern State 8-6 on Tuesday night at the Lady Demon Diamond.
Louisiana Tech raced out to a 4-1 lead after the third inning, but the Demons struck back with a two-run home run in the fifth and a five-run sixth inning to earn the comeback victory.
Despite plating four runs and registering nine hits, the Bulldogs did not fully capitalize on their opportunities as they stranded 11 baserunners in the contest.
Paris Endris led the Dogs at the plate by collecting a career-high three hits with a double, an RBI, and a run scored in a 3-4 effort. Nicole Hammoude (2-3, 1 R, 1 BB) and Brooke Diaz (2-3, 2 R, 1 BB) also registered multiple hits in the contest.
Mattison Buster (3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K) pitched effectively in her eighth start of the season. Buster would pitch three innings to start the game before exiting and returning to get the final two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Lauren Menzina took the loss for LA Tech (27-17) to fall to 2-1 on the season.
Ryleigh Denton (2-1) earned the win for Northwestern State (17-27).
NOTABLES
- Paris Endris registered a career-high three hits while recording her first career multi-hit game.
- Brooke Diaz recorded her 26th career multi-hit game while Nicole Hammoude recorded her eighth.
- The Bulldogs lead the all-time series with the Demons 62-52.
- LA Tech is now 23-12 all-time on April 23rd.
- Kylie Neel is on a four-game reached-base streak.
- The Bulldogs are 98-61 under head coach Josh Taylor who owns a career head coaching record of 331-229.
QUOTABLES
"I like the way we came out of the gates offensively. We had competitive at-bats in the early innings and throughout the game but we did not capitalize with runners on base and that definitely made a difference. We had an inning get away from us where we were not very sharp defensively. I am looking forward to seeing how we respond this weekend." - head coach Josh Taylor
HOW IT HAPPENED
Mattison Buster made her eighth start of the season, while Northwestern State went with its ace, Maggie Darr.
Alannah Rogers worked a full count before fouling off three pitches and hitting a screaming line drive off Darr for an infield single. Rogers would advance to second on a groundout by Alexis Gilio. Kylie Neel followed with a walk to put runners on first and second with one out. Following Neel's walk, Nicole Hammoude loaded the bases with a single up the middle. The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead when Claire Raley hit a popout to shallow left field that NSU shortstop Mia Liscano dropped, allowing Rogers to score from third.
Taylor Williams led off the bottom of the first with a single and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Laney Roos, which tied the game.
In the second inning, Brooke Diaz smashed a 3-2 pitch from Darr into the right-center field gap for a leadoff single. Diaz would advance to second on a wild pitch and take third on a bunt single by Paris Endris. Rogers put the Bulldogs back in front, 2-1, with a sacrifice fly to left-center that brought home Diaz.
Buster retired the Demons in order in order in the bottom of the second. The freshman used a nasty off-speed pitch to strike out the Demons' Aby Delafield to end the inning.
Kenzie Seely relieved Darr in the circle for Northwestern State, but the Bulldogs bats stayed hot in the third inning. Hammoude started things with a one-out walk before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt from Claire Raley. Caroline Easom drove home Hammoude with an RBI single to left-center field. Louisiana Tech extended its lead to 4-1 on an RBI single into left-center field from Endris.
In the home half, Buster tossed another 1-2-3 inning courtesy of a groundout and consecutive popouts.
In the top of the fourth, Rogers reached on an error by Liscano to lead off the inning. Neel drew a one-out walk. Hammoude then loaded the bases with a single to center field, but the Demons would escape as Seely got a strikeout and groundout to end the frame.
Alyssa Martin relieved Buster in the fourth and promptly spun a 1-2-3 inning, running the Bulldogs' streak of consecutive batters retired to 11.
Katelin Cooper and Rogers both drew two-out walks in the fifth inning, but that was all that Tech could muster.
Martin issued a flyout to start off the bottom of the fifth. The Demons ended the Dogs' streak of consecutive batters retired at 12 when Camryn Ford singled into left field. Kennedy Reynolds followed with a pinch-hit two-run home run down the left-field line, making it 4-3. The home run was initially ruled foul by home plate umpire Shev Pinchback but later reversed despite questionable evidence.
Ryleigh Denton relieved Seely in the top of the sixth and sent the Bulldogs down in order. Lauren Menzina relieved Martin to pitch the bottom of the sixth. Northwestern State would plate five runs on four hits and two errors during the inning to take an 8-4 lead.
The Bulldogs fought back but came up short in the seventh inning. Diaz singled to left field, and Endris doubled down the left-field line with one out in the inning. Both would come home to score with two outs on a throwing error to make it the final 8-6.
NEXT UP
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Friday when they open their three-game series at New Mexico State at 7 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.
