RUSTON – Two runs and a complete-game, three-hit shutout from sophomore Laney Johnson propelled Louisiana Tech to a 2-0 win over Missouri State on Saturday at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field. LA Tech moves to 19-15 (5-6 Conference USA) after the victory.
 
Johnson (5-4) earned her fifth win of the season, allowing just three singles in a seven-inning complete-game shutout. The Stonewall native struck out two and walked two.
 
LA Tech registered four hits in the pitcher's duel as Allie Furr and Aleah Brooks logged two hits apiece. Bradi Gallaway scored both Bulldog runs.
 
Emily Koranda suffered the loss after pitching a 6.0 inning complete game with three strikeouts and three walks for MSU.
 
After Johnson worked a scoreless top of the first, retiring the Bears in order, LA Tech took an early 1-0 lead. Gallaway drew a walk, advanced to second on a Furr single and moved to third on a flyout.
 
With Furr on first and Gallaway on third, the Bulldogs executed a double steal as Furr got caught in a rundown between first and second, allowing Gallaway to score while Furr advanced safely to second.
 
Johnson worked around one single in the second and one in the third before the Bulldogs used a 543 double play in the fourth after Lauren Rowland reached on a throwing error at third.
 
The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth as Bradi Gallaway drew a walk and came around to score on a throwing error that followed an infield single to short from Furr.
 
Johnson allowed two base runners in the sixth on a single and walked but escaped the jam with a strikeout and a pop up. The sophomore worked around a walk in the seventh to secure to 2-0 shutout.
 
 QUOTABLES
Head coach Josh Taylor

Coach Taylor's Postgame Comments on what he saw from his team.…
"I saw Laney Johnson shoving it, I mean that's what I saw. And then I saw a lot of little details done right by us on the offensive side. I thought we had good at bats offensively. If you look at how we scored the first run, we execute a double steal to perfection. She [Allie Furr] was squirrely in that situation and stayed in it long enough to allow us to get our first run in. Our second run was an incredible aggressive down ball read by Bradi Gallaway and Allie [Furr] again puts the ball in play and makes them make a tough play. She is going to get a hit there anyway, but it leads to the ball getting away for the second run. So, the down ball read and Allie Furr staying in that rundown so we can steal a run early…that was huge, but the story of the game is Laney."
 
NOTABLES
- Josh Taylor moves to 154-106 as head coach at LA Tech.
- LA Tech leads the all-time series against MSU 13-6.
- The Bulldogs earned their fifth shutout win of the season.
- Laney Johnson pitched her second complete game of the season while logging her first shutout.
- Bradi Gallaway upped her on base streak to 14 games.
- Allie Furr has recorded a hit in five straight games.
- Allie Furr and Aleah Brooks both logged their ninth multi-hit games of the season.  
 
NEXT UP
The Bulldogs and Bears will close out this weekend's three-game series tomorrow at 11 a.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.