LAS CRUSES, N.M. – Louisiana Tech softball dropped its Conference USA opener 14-5 to New Mexico State on Friday evening at the New Mexico State Softball Complex. The loss moves LA Tech to 13-8 (0-1).
 
NMSU powered its way to 14 hits, including five home runs by five different players, while capitalizing on four Bulldog errors. Tech finished with five hits from five different players, led by Reagan Marchant, who hit a three-run home run. Bradi Gallaway drove in two runs on a single.
 
Elena Heng, Alannah Rogers and Allie Furr added singles, while Rogers, Gallaway, Marchant, Carolina Eidson and Kaylee Grealy scored runs.
 
Allie Floyd (5-4) took the loss after starting in the circle and allowing seven runs (five earned) on six hits. Ruby Fidge pitched 1.2 innings and allowed five runs (two earned) on five hits, while Ryleigh Shull gave up two runs on three hits across 1.1 innings.
 
The Aggies jumped out to a 2-0 lead with back-to-back home runs to start the game before adding five runs in both the second and third innings. NMSU recorded six hits and took advantage of one error in the second, then used five hits, two home runs and another error to score five in the third, making it 12-0 NMSU.
 
NMSU hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 14-0 lead heading into the fifth.
 
LA Tech got on the board in the top of the fifth as Grealy led off with a walk and moved to second on a single by Rogers. Eidson drew a walk in her first career at bat to load the bases for Gallaway, who singled off the wall in center to drive in Grealy and Rogers and cut the deficit to 14-2.
 
Marchant followed with a three-run home run to right-center to make it 14-5 before the Aggies recorded the final two outs to secure the run-rule victory.

QUOTABLES
Head coach Josh Taylor
 
Coach Taylor's Postgame Comments.…
"You find out who you are as a competitor when you are struggling, and you find out what kind of team you have when you are struggling. We have high character individuals on this ball club, and we will need a response tomorrow."
 
NOTABLES
- Josh Taylor moves to 148-99 as head coach at LA Tech.
- LA Tech leads the all-time series 21-18.  
- Reagan Marchant hit her 22^nd career home run and is now tied for sixth all-time for the most home runs in program history.
- Bradi Gallaway now has 20 hits this season.
- Bradi Gallaway registered her fourth multi-hit game of the season while Reagan Marchant tallied her third.
- Elena Heng upped her hit streak to nine games.
 
NEXT UP
The Bulldogs and Aggies will be back in action tomorrow at 5 p.m. CT.