LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team slugged its way to an 11-7 victory over New Mexico State in the series opener on Friday evening at the New Mexico State Softball Complex.

After falling behind 3-1 in the first inning, the Bulldogs' bats exploded to mount ten runs, highlighted by a five-run sixth inning to build an insurmountable 11-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Aggies would scratch together four runs in their last plate appearance, but it was too little too late as LA Tech improved to 28-17 overall and 11-8 in CUSA play.

Claire Raley paced LA Tech with a 2-4 day at the plate that featured a season-high three RBI and a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning. Kylie Neel homered with a solo shot in the top of the third inning. Neel also went 2-4 with two runs scored. Nicole Hammoude (2-4, 1 2B, 3 R) recorded multiple hits and Brooke Diaz (1-3, 2 RBI) drove in multiple runs in the win.

Playing at 3,900 feet above sea level and in one of the smallest ballparks in Division I Softball (190 ft. down the lines and 220 ft. to center field) the Bulldogs needed a gutsy performance from their starting pitcher and got exactly that from sophomore Allie Floyd (7.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 4 BB, 6 K). The East Bernard, Texas native, allowed a three-run home run in the first before spinning five consecutive scoreless innings to keep the Aggies at bay. Floyd (13-5) would then battle through the seventh inning to earn her 13th victory of the season. 

New Mexico State freshman phenom Desirae Spearman took just her third loss of the season after the Bulldogs plated 10 runs on eight hits and two walks in her sixth inning of work. Spearman struck out six while falling to 8-3 on the season.

With the win, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State are tied for third place in the CUSA standings at 11-8.

NOTABLES
- Paris Endris extended her reached-base streak to a career-high three games with a second-inning walk.
- Allie Floyd recorded her 11^th career complete game while picking up her 13^th victory of the season. Floyd is two wins away for cracking the all-time top five for wins in a season by a Louisiana Tech sophomore.
- Allie Floyd is the only opposing pitcher to earn a seven-inning complete game victory at New Mexico State this season. She was the first opposing pitcher to earn a seven-in-inning complete game victory since Sophie Hannabas of Stephen F. Austin accomplished the feat on April 29, 2023.
- Brooke Diaz recorded her 19^th career multi-RBI game and Katelin Cooper recorded her 18^th career multi-RBI game.
- Claire Raley registered a season-high three RBI and hit her fourth home run of the season matching her single-season high of four she set last year at Utah State. She now has 12 career multi-RBI games and 24 career multi-hit games.
- Kylie Neel hit her 14^th career home run and fifth home run this season with a solo shot in the third inning. Her 14 career home runs lead all active Bulldogs. Neel also registered her 35^th career multi-hit game with two hits in the win.
- The Bulldogs' 10 runs against Spearman were the most by an opposing team this season while their eight hits were the second-most she's allowed.
- Nicole Hammoude registered her ninth career multi-RBI game while scoring a career-high three runs.
- LA Tech is now 14-7 all-time on April 26.
- LA Tech tied a season high with two sacrifice flies. They previously accomplished the feat in a 5-3 win over WKU on March 23.
- Kylie Neel is on a five-game reached-base streak.
- The Bulldogs are 99-61 under head coach Josh Taylor who owns a career head coaching record of 332-229.

QUOTABLES
On Allie Floyd…
"It was a gutsy performance by Allie (Floyd). I know she gave up seven runs and the three-run home run in the first but to put up five consecutive scoreless innings in this ballpark is hard to do. The guts and determination that she showed today is exactly why she is a leader on our club. That is why she does great things. I am really proud of Allie today and how gutsy that performance was." – head coach Josh Taylor

On the offensive performance…
"Offensively to score eight runs in the last two innings and to get on the board first was big. We had quality at-bats throughout the lineup. We hit the ball hard. Claire (Raley) had the big hit with the bases loaded and we just had a lot of good things happen today and had a lot of clutch sacrifice flies as well. It was a really good team effort and I am proud of our club." – head coach Josh Taylor.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Allie Floyd made her 16th start of the season for Louisiana Tech, while New Mexico State went with freshman phenom Desirae Spearman.

Alannah Rogers led off the game with a double to right-center field. She would score a batter later as Spearman overthrew first base on an Alexis Gilio ground ball, allowing Rogers to score and Gilio to reach second. Following the error, Spearman struck out the next three batters to end the inning.

In the bottom of the first, Floyd struck out Jillian Taylor to start things off before getting Spearman to flyout to Cooper in left field for the second out of the inning. Dezianna Patmon singled up the middle for the Aggies' first hit of the ballgame, followed by a single by Devin Elam to put runners on first and second with two outs. Riley Carley then gave the Aggies a 3-1 lead with a three-run home run to left-center field.

Paris Endris drew a two-out walk in the top of the second inning to run her reached-base streak to three games.

Floyd responded with a scoreless inning in the home half, allowing just one baserunner courtesy of a two-out walk.

With two outs in the third inning, Kylie Neel cut the Aggies' lead to 3-2 with a solo home run to center field. Nicole Hammoude reached on an error and came around to score on a game-tying RBI single from Brooke Diaz.

Katelin Cooper turned a massive 7-4 double play in the third inning by catching a line drive and throwing out Spearman, who was retreating to second base after leading off the inning with a double. Floyd then issued a flyout to Gilio in center field to end the inning.

Spearman retired the Bulldogs in order in the top of the fourth. Floyd did the same to the Aggies in the bottom half, bookended by an inning-ending strikeout.

Floyd and Spearman replicated their performance in the fifth as both sat the opponents down in order.

Hammoude broke Spearman's string of seven consecutive batters retired with a single through the right side before advancing to second on a dropped fly ball in shallow left field that allowed Diaz to reach. Caroline Easom battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a seven-pitch walk, which loaded the bases. Olivia Ellingson pinch-ran after Diaz reached, and Jina Baffuto pinch-ran for Easom after the walk. Claire Raley then put Tech ahead with an RBI single to right. Raley got into a rundown between first and second, which brought home another run while everyone advanced safely. Spearman got a foul out for the first out of the inning before Cooper brought home two more with a bases-clearing triple to center field. Rogers then increased the Tech lead to 8-3 with a sacrifice fly that scored Cooper.

Floyd continued her dominance in the sixth with her fifth consecutive scoreless frame, capped by her fourth strikeout.

In the seventh inning, Neel elected to slap and singled through the right side to lead things off before advancing to third on a double off the left-center field wall by Hammoude. Diaz made it 9-3 with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Neel. Raley came through again with two outs in the inning by hitting a two-run home run to center field that extended the Bulldogs' lead to 11-3.

Floyd trotted out to the circle and finished the complete game in the bottom of the seventh. She would strikeout two in the frame before the Aggies would scratch for four runs, two of which came on a two-run home run from Patmon that made it 11-7. Floyd would then issue a groundout to Hammoude at shortstop one batter later for the final out of the ballgame.
 
NEXT UP
The Bulldogs will look to take the series tomorrow and move into sole possession of third place at 11 a.m.
 
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