RUSTON – Louisiana Tech softball defeated Stephen F. Austin 4-0 on Tuesday night at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field, earning its first shutout win of the season. The victory moves the Bulldogs to 11-9 on the season.
 
Senior third baseman Claire Raley led the Bulldogs at the plate as she collected two hits, three RBI and one run. KB Briley recorded her first multi-hit game of the season after hitting three singles, while Alannah Rogers also had a multi-hit performance with triple and a single. Rogers led the team with two runs, while Raley and Jina Baffuto scored one run apiece. Nicole Hammoude and Elena Heng both recorded one hit each.
 
Mattison Buster earned her second win of the season after tossing 4.0 innings in relief. Buster allowed four hits and struck out one. True freshman Laney Johnson pitched the first two frames and allowed three hits and no runs. Alyssa Martin pitched the final frame and did not allow a hit.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
After two scoreless innings, LA Tech opened the scoring in the bottom of the third with a two-run home run by Raley. Following a popout to start the inning, Rogers reached on an infield single to short that she legged out and beat the throw. Raley gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead with her fourth home run of the season, launching a two-run shot on a 2-0 count off the flagpole in center field.
 
The Lumberjacks threatened in both the third and sixth innings, leaving two runners stranded to end each frame.  
 
The Bulldogs added insurance runs in the fifth in sixth innings. Rogers tripled down the right field line and came around to score on a Raley sac fly to left field. Briley singled to start the bottom of the sixth and was pinch ran for by Jina Baffuto, who could come around to score from second on a Heng single up the middle. Allie Furr used a sac bunt to get Baffuto in scoring position.
 
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Josh Taylor
 
On tonight's win and moving forward into CUSA play this weekend…
"It's really important to us that we were able to get quality innings out of three of our five pitchers. Laney gave us a good start with two 0's and Buster was able to come in and really do a good job with a runner on first and nobody out and get out of that unscathed. She had her change up working tonight and she had some good velocity and a good down movement on her drop ball and fast ball. It was good to see that, and then Alyssa coming in and be able to do the job in the seventh. To be able to get a real staff win, and a shutout at that is important for us moving into conference play as we have a really tough New Mexico State team coming to town."
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Josh Taylor
 
On Claire Raley's three RBI night…
"The home run is to dead center field, and she has an approach. She is trusting in her approach, and she has been doing it all season long and it is just fun to watch her hit right now. We need to get more consistency out of others in our lineup, but Claire was really good tonight, I thought KB, coming up big with three hits tonight was clutch for us, and again it an attribute to their approach. She (KB) got jammed a bit in all three at bats, but when your approach is right, you're going to get rewarded, and she was able to get three hits for us."
 
NOTABLES
Tonight's win was the Bulldogs' first shutout win of the season.
Head coach Josh Taylor recorded his 350^th career win.
Laney Johnson made her fourth start of the season in the circle.
Mattison Buster earned her second win of the season.
Claire Raley hit her fourth home run of the season.
Claire Raley registered her seventh multi-hit game of the season and her sixth multi-RBI game of the season.
KB Briley recorded her first multi-hit game of the season after registering three hits.
Nicole Hammoude hit her fifth double of the season.
Alannah Rogers hit her first triple of the season.
 
NEXT UP
 
Conference USA play begins this weekend for the Bulldogs as NW Mexico State comes to Ruston for a three-game series at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field. First pitch is set for Friday at 6 p.m