RUSTON – Louisiana Tech softball outlasted Sam Houston 6-3 to avoid the series sweep Sunday at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field. The win moves LA Tech back to .500 overall at 23-23 (9-12 Conference USA).

The Bulldogs outhit the Bearkats, 8-7, with six hits going for extra bases, including four doubles, a triple and a home run. Jina Baffuto and Alannah Rogers recorded two hits apiece, while Baffuto and Bradi Gallaway led the Bulldogs with three RBI each. Allie Furr added a triple, and Reagan Marchant logged a double.

Ruby Fidge (3-2) earned the win in relief after pitching three innings, allowing one run on three hits with one walk and one strikeout. Allie Floyd made the start and went three innings, allowing one run on one hit with one walk. Bryannah Campos tossed the final frame, allowing one run on one hit.

Sam Houston took an early 1-0 lead as Veronica Harrison hit a solo home run in the top of the first. LA Tech answered in the bottom half and did not trail again. Gracie Flores recorded an infield single, advanced to third on a double by Rogers and scored on a Gallaway sacrifice fly to left.

Both teams went down in order in the second and third before the Bulldogs plated three runs in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Rogers singled to start the inning and scored on a Gallaway home run to left. Marchant followed with a double down the left-field line before the Bearkats made a pitching change.

After a strikeout and a groundout, Baffuto doubled to left-center, driving in Marchant to make it 4-1. Sam Houston cut the deficit to two in the sixth with a leadoff solo home run, but the Bulldogs responded with two runs in the bottom half to take a 6-2 advantage.

Marchant and Reese Torres drew back-to-back walks before Baffuto cleared the bases with her second double of the game to extend the lead to 6-2. Sam Houston plated one run in the top of the seventh on three hits, but Campos worked out of the inning to secure the win for LA Tech.
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Josh Taylor
Coach Taylor's Postgame Comments.…

"I saw just that [Timely hitting, great defense and great pitching]. I saw extra base hits as well. Jina [ Baffuto] having two doubles…Bradi's [Gallaway] home run separates us there in the fourth inning and those are big moments, annd you have to love to play for those things as a player. I thought Ruby Fidge was incredible today. I thought [Bryannah] Campos came in and commanded the zone and did a great job, and they were really good yesterday as well. I mean, keeping us in that game to allow our offense to try to work our way back into that one. So really proud of those two for their outings this weekend. I think it gives them a lot of confidence moving forward, not just the rest of this year, but the rest of their careers. Really excited about that, on how they were able to really change the pace on them and get them off balance and disrupt their timing. Proud of our offense. I thought, actually, our offense competed pretty well all weekend, for the most part. I think we still have a tendency to give too many at bats just away, but I don't think we gave away nearly as many at bats today. I thought our swings were, were good. I think they had intent. They're trying to do damage. It's nice to win on a Sunday, and I'm proud of our team and how they continue to fight, even though things haven't really gone our way all year, especially in the last 20 something games, but they're continuing to fight. They're going to continue to do that the rest of the season, and we'll see how, see how it goes"
 
NOTABLES
- Josh Taylor moves to 158-114 as head coach at LA Tech.
- LA Tech leads the all-time series 22-17 against Sam Houston.
- Gracie Flores has hit safely in 12 straight games.
- Bradi Gallaway hit her 11^th home run of the season and now owns the LA Tech single-season home run record for a freshman.
- Bradi Gallaway drove in three runs to record her 10^th multi-RBI game of the season while Jina Baffuto's three-RBI performance marked her third multi-RBI game of the season.
- Alannah Rogers registered her 100^th career hit.
- Ruby Fidge recorded her third win of the season in the circle.
 
NEXT UP
LA Tech will be back in action next weekend as they travel to Lynchburg, Va., to face Liberty in a three-game CUSA series starting on Friday, April 24.