LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team was defeated by WKU 10-6 in a back-and-forth contest during day two of the CUSA Championship at the New Mexico State Softball complex on Thursday afternoon.

Tech took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning before WKU went ahead 4-2 in the bottom of the third. The Bulldogs would respond with three runs in the top of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead that would be short-lived as WKU answered with six in the home half to put the game out of reach.

A four-run third inning and a six-run fifth inning from WKU were the difference makers in the loss for LA Tech. The Hilltoppers' Sophie Weber hit two home runs and drove in five runs while Cheyanne Sales hit a three-run home run. 

Offensively, the Bulldogs did not fully capitalize on their opportunities by leaving eight on base during the contest. For the second straight game the first four hitters recorded a base hit. Kylie Neel and Alannah Rogers both drove in a pair of runs, courtesy of a two-run double and a two-run single.

Allie Floyd (4 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 3 BB, 2 K) pitched effectively during her 19th start of the year. Mattison Buster took the loss for LA Tech to fall to 2-5.

Rylan Smith (3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K) earned the victory for the Hilltoppers (32-19-1) to improve to 12-6 on the season.

With the loss, Louisiana Tech (32-21) will play No. 1 seed Liberty in an elimination game on Friday at 3:30 p.m. (CT). 

NOTABLES
- Alannah Rogers registered her sixth career multi-RBI game with a two-run double in the top of the third inning.
- Kylie Neel increased her reached-base streak to six games with a second-inning walk. Neel recorded her 37th career multi-RBI game with a two-run single in the loss.
- LA Tech is now 11-11 all-time in the Conference USA Tournament.
- LA Tech leads the all-time series with WKU 12-9.
- The Bulldogs are 103-65 under head coach Josh Taylor who owns a career head coaching record of 336-233.

QUOTABLES
On the game…
"We were not very good in any phase of the game today. We did not capitalize on our opportunities offensively. Softball is a game of momentum and whenever we put runs on the scoreboard in the top half of an inning we could not keep them off of it in the bottom half. We are looking forward to bouncing back tomorrow."  -head coach Josh Taylor.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Allie Floyd made her 19th start of the season for Louisiana Tech, while WKU went with CUSA pitcher of the year Katie Gardner.

Gardner retired the Bulldogs in order to start the game with a pair of ground outs and a strikeout. 

In the bottom half Floyd got WKU leadoff batter TJ Webster to fly out to a perfectly positioned Alexis Gilio in center field. Cheyanne Sales was hit by a 2-2 pitch to take first base. Taylor Sanders grounded into a 5-4 fielder's choice for the second out of the inning before advancing to second on a single from Annie White. Floyd would then strike out Morgan Sharpe, who tried to check her swing but could not complete the scoreless frame. 

Kylie Neel led off the top of the second with a four-pitch walk, but that was all the Bulldogs could muster. Caroline Easom just missed hitting a two-run home run that was a few feet foul of the left-field foul pole.

Brylee Hage led off the bottom of the second with a single to left field before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. Randi Drinnon walked to put runners on first and second. Floyd got a foul-out for the second out of the inning before getting an inning-ending groundout to Easom at second base.

In the top of the third, Paris Endris reached on a lead-off walk. Katelin Cooper followed with a four-pitch walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Alannah Rogers stepped to the plate and drove a 3-2 pitch into the left-center field gap for a bases-clearing double to give LA Tech a 2-0 lead. Rogers moved to third on a groundout by Gilio. Neel walked again with two outs, putting runners on the corners, but Gardner would get a groundout to shortstop to minimize the damage. 

Nicole Hammoude made an impressive play on a short hop for the first out of the home half. Sanders singled through the left side, and White walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Floyd got Sharpe to fly out to Rogers in right field for the second out of the inning. Brylee Hage made it 2-1 with a single into center field. The Hilltoppers then took a 4-2 lead courtesy of a three-run home run from Sophie Weber. 

In the fourth inning, Endris drew her second walk of the game with a two-out walk. Floyd spun a scoreless bottom have with the Hilltoppers' Webster recording the lone hit of the inning.

Rogers walked to lead off the fifth inning. Alexis Gilio then hit a ground ball to second base that Rogers avoided the tag on before Gilio beat the throw to reach first safely. Claire Raley then singled to third base to load the bases with no outs. Neel strolled to the plate and singled through the right side, driving in two, which tied the game. Following the single, WKU turned to Rylan Smith. A batter later, Hammoude laid down a sacrifice bunt that Smith threw in the dirt, allowing Raley to score from third, which gave LA Tech a 5-4 lead. With runners on second and third, Caroline Easom hit a fly ball to center field, which turned into a double play as WKU center fielder Brylee Hage threw out Neel, who was tagging from third. Smith then issued an inning-ending strikeout at LA Tech, stranded a runner at third.

LA Tech turned to freshman Mattison Buster in the bottom of the fifth. She issued a flyout to center field for the first out of the frame. Hage drew a four-pitch walk before Weber hit her second home run, this time with a two-run shot to left field. Following Weber's home run, LA Tech made a pitching change and brought in Brook Melnychuk. The Hilltoppers brought home another run on a throwing error before WKU took a 10-5 lead on a three-run home run by Cheyanne Sales.

In the sixth inning, Cooper and Rogers reached on walks. Gilio loaded the bases with a single down the left-field line with no outs. Claire Raley made it 10-6 with a sacrifice fly to center field that brought home Cooper, but the Smith and the Hilltoppers escaped the frame with minimum damage.

Melynchuk kept the Hilltoppers off the board in the bottom of the sixth while allowing a pair of singles.

Caroline Easom led off the top of the seventh with a single to left field, but that was all Tech could muster in the frame as Smith and WKU completed the victory.

NEXT UP
The Bulldogs will face No. 1 seed Liberty in an elimination game at 3:30 p.m. (CT). The Bulldogs will be the visitors in the contest.
 
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