AUBURN, Ala. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team out-slugged Georgia Tech for a 13-10 victory and fell to Auburn 5-0 on the final day of the War Eagle Classic at Jane B. Moore Field.
 
The Bulldogs' bats came alive in the 13-10 slugfest win over Georgia Tech as eight of the Bulldogs' nine starters recorded hits in the victory. LA Tech broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning and a six-run sixth inning.

Nicole Hammoude led the way by going 2-4 with two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored. Hammoude became the first Bulldog to hit two home runs in a game since Kara Goff accomplished the feat on Feb. 27, 2021. Aubree Seaney also hit a home run with a two-run shot in the top of the sixth inning. Alexis Gilio went 3-4 with a sacrifice fly and two runs scored while Caroline Easom and Kylie Neel both collected two-run doubles in the win. 
 
Brook Melnychuk started in the win over the Yellow Jackets, allowing three runs on six hits in three innings pitched. Allie Floyd (3.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 2 K) earned the victory in relief to improve to 12-3 on the year. Mattison Buster picked up her first career save by garnering the final two outs in the contest.
 
Auburn ace Maddie Penta was too much for the Bulldogs to overcome in the nightcap. Penta threw a complete-game shutout, striking out 15 and allowing just two hits and one walk. Easom and Alannah Rogers recorded hits for Louisiana Tech. Easom also drew the lone walk Penta issued with two outs in the seventh inning.
 
Buster (1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB) took the loss for the Bulldogs to fall to 1-2. Melnychuk (4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K) and Alyssa Martin (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB) pitched effectively in relief.
 
NOTABLES
- Nicole Hammoude became the first Bulldog to hit two home runs in a game since Kara Goff did so in a 3-2 extra-innings loss against North Alabama on Feb. 27, 2021.
- Hammoude recorded her seventh career multi-hit game and sixth career multi-RBI game with two home runs and four RBI in the victory over the Yellow Jackets. It marked her second career two-homer game as she previously accomplished the feat on March 7, 2020 in a win over Siena while playing for Cal.
- Caroline Easom recorded her 19^th career multi-RBI game against Georgia Tech. Easom is on a team-best three-game hitting streak.
- Kylie Neel recorded her 18^th career multi-RBI game with a two-run double in the win over Georgia Tech.
- Aubree Seaney hit her seventh career home run with a two-run shot in the sixth inning against Georgia Tech, giving her the 12^th multi-RBI game of her career.
- Aubree Seaney and Nicole Hammoude became the first Bulldog teammates to hit back-to-back home runs since Katelin Cooper and Caroline Easom accomplished the feat in a 13-2 win at UTEP on April 23, 2023.
- Alexis Gilio recorded her 20^th career multi-hit game with three hits against Georgia Tech.
- Allie Floyd earned her 12^th win of the season.
- The Bulldogs 13-10 win over Georgia Tech marked the first time the Bulldogs have allowed 10+ runs in a victory since Feb. 13, 2015 in a 13-11 over Lamar in Starkville, Miss.
- Louisiana Tech has won three in a row over Georgia Tech and leads the all-time series 3-1.
- Auburn now leads the all-time series with LA Tech 7-3.
- The Bulldogs are 95-55 under head coach Josh Taylor who owns a career head coaching record of 328-223.
- With the win over Georgia Tech, the Bulldogs have defeated multiple power five opponents in a season for the first time since 2019. LA Tech previously beat Illinois, 4-2 on March 2 at the Purple and Gold Challenge in Baton Rouge.
- The win over Georgia Tech was the 1,300th in program history at the DI level.
- LA Tech is now 15-14 all-time on April 6.

QUOTABLES
On the day…
"It was nice to see us hit in game one. We had three home runs, we barreled balls up and we were able to score a lot of runs. We needed every one of them. Being able to score 13 runs and get 12 hits was encouraging. In game two we faced a really good pitcher who shut us down. We have to find a way to compete better against high-level pitching. Overall, I was encouraged of our offensive adjustments and encouraged for what it is going to bring for us in the future." head coach Josh Taylor
 
GAME ONE
Louisiana Tech started Brook Melnychuk for the 14th time this year, while the Yellow Jackets' Chandler Dennis made her seventh start of the year.
 
With two outs in the top of the first inning, Alexis Gilio singled through the left side for the game's first hit. Kylie Neel was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Caroline Easom then hit a ground ball to shortstop that Georgia Tech's Jin Sileo tried to get a force out at second but was unsuccessful as Neel beat Sileo to second base while Gilio showed an impressive display of base running to score from second.
 
A pitch hit Sarah Beth Allen to lead off the bottom of the first. Mallorie Black followed with a single that Allen was thrown out on while trying to take third. Another single put runners on first and third with one out, but Melnychuk would escape the jam with a line out and ground out to end the inning.
 
The Bulldogs added another run in the top of the second courtesy of a Katelin Cooper RBI single that fell in shallow right-center field, scoring Nicole Hammoude to make it 2-0 Bulldogs.
 
In the home half, the Yellow Jackets put runners on first and second, courtesy of back-to-back singles. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt for the first out of the inning. Melnychuk issued a pop out to Hammoude in the 5.5 hole for the second out of the frame. Allen drew a two-out walk to load the bases, bringing up the dangerous Mallorie Black, who would pop out to Easom at second to end the inning.
 
Gilio singled up the middle for her second hit of the day in the third. In the bottom half, the Yellow Jackets got on the board with a two-out RBI double from Jayden Gailey, cutting the Tech lead to 2-1. Reese Hunter gave Georgia Tech a 3-2 lead with a two-run home run to left field.
 
Allie Floyd entered the game in relief of Melnychuk in the fourth, as both sides were kept off the scoreboard during the inning.
 
Claire Raley singled up the middle with one out in the top of the fifth inning. She would later steal second, then take third on an infield single by Gilio. With two outs, Easom gave Tech a 4-3 lead with a two-run double into the left-center field gap. Aubree Seaney followed with a walk to put runners on first and second before Hammoude extended the LA Tech lead to 7-3 with a three-run home run to left field.
 
Floyd retired the Yellow Jackets in order in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Cooper led off the sixth inning with her 24th walk of the season. Alannah Rogers and Claire Raley both reached on sacrifice bunts. Rogers reached on a throwing error, and Raley reached when the Yellow Jackets attempted to throw out Cooper at third, but Cooper beat the throw. Gilio made it 8-3 with a sacrifice fly to left-center field, scoring Cooper. Kylie Neel drove in two more runs with a double off the right field wall. Aubree Seaney smashed a two-run home run over the wall in right field to extend the Tech lead to 12-3. Hammoude then stepped into the box and blasted a 2-2 pitch way beyond the wall in center field for her second round-tripper of the ballgame, putting Tech ahead 13-3.
 
The Yellow Jackets struck back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of a three-run shot from Black.
 
Cooper walked to start the seventh inning. Rogers followed with a single, but Georgia Tech would retire the next three and escape the inning.
 
In the bottom half, the Yellow Jackets put their first two batters on base by way of singles. A pinch-hit walk by Brionna Condron loaded the bases with no outs. Floyd bounced back with a strikeout for the first out of the inning. Black then hit a grand slam to cut the Bulldogs lead to 13-10. The grand slam was Black's second home run of the ballgame and 15th of the season. Following the grand slam, freshman Mattison Buster relieved Allie Floyd. Buster yielded a single before getting a ground out to second and a pop out to first to secure her first career save as the Bulldogs improved to 24-10 on the season.
 
GAME TWO
Mattison Buster stayed in the circle to start against the Tigers after earning a save against Georgia Tech. Auburn started its ace Maddie Penta who entered the contest with a 1.74 ERA.
 
Penta retired the Bulldogs in order by issuing a strikeout followed by a pair of ground outs. In the bottom half, Buster retired Auburn lead-off hitter Anna Wohlers with a pop out to Hammoude behind third base. A pair of singles put runners on first and second before Nelia Peralta gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead with a single to center field. Auburn looked to take a 2-0 lead on a double steal, but Taylor and the Bulldogs challenged the play, and Peralta was called out after leaving first base early; therefore, the runner that initially scored was sent back to third. Auburn later took the 2-0 lead on an RBI infield single by Icess Trevik. For the second consecutive game between the teams, Auburn purposely got into a rundown between first and second with runners on the corners to steal home, increasing its lead to 3-0.
 
Penta made it sixth straight, retired with a 1-2-3 second inning. Brook Melnychuk relieved Buster in the bottom of the second. Hammoude made an incredible play by backhanding a ground ball deep in the hole at shortstop and throwing across her body to catch Aubrie Lisenby at first base for the first out of the inning. Melnychuk then followed with a strikeout for the second out before issuing a ground out to Hammoude to complete the 1-2-3 inning.
 
The Bulldogs were retired in order in the third inning. Melnychuk pitched a scoreless bottom of the third inning while escaping a bases-loaded jam for the second consecutive game.
 
Alannah Rogers broke up Penta's perfect game bid with a single through the right side to lead off the fourth inning. Rogers would take second on a passed ball and advance to third on a ground out by Alexis Gilio but that was as far as she would get as Penta picked up a strikeout to end the inning. Melnychuk made it three straight scoreless innings in the fourth, with Wohlers being the lone Auburn baserunner courtesy of a walk.
 
Caroline Easom led off the fifth inning with a single up the middle. Taylor then pinch ran Olivia Ellingson, who would steal second with two outs in the inning, but Penta would issue an inning-ending strikeout to keep her shutout intact.
 
Auburn plated two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, courtesy of three singles to take a 5-0 lead.
 
Penta struck out the side in the top of the sixth inning. Alyssa Martin relieved Melnychuk in the bottom of the sixth and registered a 1-2-3 inning.
 
Easom walked with two outs in the bottom of the seventh but that is all the Bulldogs would get as Penta wrapped up the complete-game shutout.

NEXT UP
The Bulldogs return to Dr. Billy Bundrick Field to host Ole Miss in a doubleheader at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10.
 
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