BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Louisiana Tech softball split its double header with Western Kentucky on Saturday afternoon as the Bulldogs won game one 8-4 before falling 5-2 to the Hilltoppers in the series finale. LA Tech moves to 21-13 (8-4 CUSA) after going 1-2 against WKU in the series.
 
Redshirt sophomore first baseman Reagan Marchant had a career day at the dish as she hit three home runs on the day with two coming in the first game, followed by one more in game two. She finished the day with four hits and five RBI across the two games.
 
Alexis Gilio joined Marchant with four hits as she collected two base knocks in both games today. Allie Furr had three hits in game one, while Nicole Hammoude posted four RBI in game one after hitting a go-ahead grand slam.
 
Allie Floyd earned the win in relief in game one and moves to 16-6 on the season after logging 4.0 innings of work while allowing one run on six hits to pair with three strikeouts.
 
Alyssa Martin took the loss in game two and moves to 1-3 on the season after allowing four runs on three hits in 2.1 innings of action.  
 
GAME ONE – LA Tech 8, WKU 4
 
Laney Johnson made the start for LA Tech in game one and lasted 2.0 innings while allowing four runs on three hits. WKU started the game with a walk which placed a runner aboard for Maci Masters who hit a two-run home run to put the Hilltoppers on top early.
 
The Bulldogs responded with a long ball of their own in the top of the second as Marchant blasted a solo shot to center to make it 2-1 WKU. The Hilltoppers would plate one run in the bottom of the frame on a sac fly to make it 3-1 WKU.
 
Martin took the circle in the bottom of the third and worked around an early walk and hit by pitch and escaped the inning unscathed.
 
Furr singled down the right field line to start the top of the fourth followed by Marchant's second home run of the game that blasted off the scoreboard in right field to tie the game at 3-3.
 
Floyd took over fo Martin the bottom of the fourh and WKU answered back with a solo shot off the bat of Kendle White to take a 4-3 lead, which would be their last lead of the game.
 
After leaving the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, Hammoude made sure that would not happen again as the redshirt senior blasted a grand slam of the scoreboard in right to put the Bulldogs on top 7-4. Snyder singled up the middle to start the frame and was pinch ran for by Jina Baffuto who advanced to second on a sac bunt from Kaylee Grealy. Back-to-back walks from Claire Raley and Elena Heng would load the bases for Hammoude who's grand slam came with two outs in the inning.
 
The Bulldogs added one more run in the top of the seventh to make it 8-4 as Alexis Gilio singled to left center to score KB Briley who reached base after connecting on a single to right field.  
 
GAME TWO – WKU 5, LA Tech 2
 
The Bulldogs struck first in game two as a walk to Raley, a double from Gilio, and a walk to Hammoude loaded the bases for Marchant, who would also draw a base on balls to pick up an RBI as Raley came around to score.
 
WKU took a 2-1 lead and never looked back in the bottom of the second on a two-run home run from freshman Kennedy Stinson. The Hilltoppers plated two more in the bottom of the third after Kendle White was hit by a pitch and Morgan Sharpe singled to right center to get two on base for Maci Masters who cleared the bases with a single to right center, making it 4-1 WKU.
 
Marchant led off the top of the fourth with a solo shot to make it 4-2 WKU, her third home run of the afternoon. WKU would plate one final run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI groundout to second base.
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Josh Taylor
 
On picking up a win in game one of today's DH …
"I'm disappointed in losing the series and I know our players are too, but at the same time I am proud of their fight. There were windy conditions and it's not a controllable, but I am just proud of their fight. At 8-4 right now in conference, we're right where we want to be. We are just going to have to finish strong down the stretch.
 
NOTABLES
Laney Johnson made her 10^th start of the season in the circle in game one.
Allie Floyd moved to 16-6 on the season after picking up the win in relief in game one.
Reagan Marchant recorded her first multi-home run game of her career after hitting two against the Hilltoppers in game one.
Reagan Marchant recorded her second three-hit game of the season.
Nicole Hammoude hit her second career grand slam home run in game one.
Allie Furr registered her third three-hit game of the season after collecting three base hits in game one.
Reagan Marchant hit her 10^th home run of the season in game two.
Alyssa Martin made her fifth start of the season in game two and moves to 1-3 after taking the loss.
Alexis Gilio recorded her ninth multi-hit game of the season in game two after finishing with two base knocks.
 
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Wednesday evening as they travel to Lafayette to take on ULL. The first pitch from Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park is set for 6:00 p.m.