LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team lost its series finale to New Mexico State, 6-0 on Sunday afternoon at the New Mexico State Softball Complex.

The long ball and offensive woes were the difference-makers in the loss. The Bulldogs had just five baserunners in the contest. New Mexico State belted three home runs, back-to-back solo shots from Dezianna Patmon and Riley Carley in addition to a three-run round tripper from Jillian Taylor in the fourth to give the Aggies all six runs they would need.

New Mexico State pitcher Emily Dix took a no-hitter into the top of the seventh inning before Brooke Diaz broke it up with a double off the right field fence.

Allie Floyd took the loss for LA Tech to fall to 13-6 on the season while Dix improved to 8-10 with the win.

With the loss, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State are tied in third place of the CUSA standings

NOTABLES
- The Bulldogs are 100-62 under head coach Josh Taylor who owns a career head coaching record of 333-230.
- Brooke Diaz increased her reached-base streak to four games.

QUOTABLES
On the game…
"I am proud of our weekend but our performance offensively today cannot happen. We were not competitive at the plate today. We pitched and defensed well enough to win at this ballpark. We have to show up offensively ready to play every single day"- head coach Josh Taylor.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Louisiana Tech went back to Allie Floyd in the series finale, while the Aggies gave the ball to senior Emily Dix.

Alannah Rogers led off the game with a walk in the first, but that was all the Bulldogs could muster as Dix retired the next three batters.
 
 A pitch hit Jillian Taylor to lead off the bottom of the first. The Aggies took the lead one batter later when Jessica Carreon sent an RBI double to left-center field. Carreon was thrown out at third by Brooke Diaz for the first out of the inning. Dezianna Patmon then made it 2-0 with a solo home run to right-center field before Riley Carley hit a solo shot to left to increase the Aggies lead to 3-0. Brook Melnychuk relieved Floyd with one out and a runner on first and got consecutive groundouts to end the inning.
 
Dix made it six-straight retired with a 1-2-3 top of the second inning. Melnychuk kept the Aggies off the board in the bottom of the second while yielding a pair of singles.

In the third inning, Dix retired the side in the top half before Melnychuk did the same in the bottom half by way of a popout and consecutive groundouts.

Dix made it 12 straight Bulldogs retired with a 1-2-3 top of the fourth. New Mexico State increased its lead to 6-0 on a three-run home run by Jillian Taylor. Following the home run, Carreon reached on an error before the Bulldogs made a pitching change and went to Mattison Buster, who would record two consecutive outs to finish the frame.

Brooke Diaz and Caroline Easom both walked to start the top of the fifth inning but the Bulldogs could not do anything with them as Dix retired the next three courtesy of two strikeouts and a flyout.

Buster would put up another scoreless frame while New Mexico State stranded two.

In the top of the sixth, Rogers and Alexis Gilio both smoked line drives but right at the Aggies' second and third baseman as Tech went down in order. In the bottom half, New Mexico State put runners on first and second with back-to-back singles before the Bulldogs turned a 1-5-3 double play, and Buster struck out Carley to end the inning.

In the seventh, Nicole Hammoude led off the top half with a walk. Diaz broke up Dix's no-hitter with a double off the right field wall, but that was all Tech would muster as Dix retired the final three batters to finish the complete game shutout.

NEXT UP
The Bulldogs are back in action on Tuesday when they host McNeese at 6 p.m.
 
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