RUSTON, La. – The Louisiana Tech Softball team defeated Sam Houston 5-1 on Saturday evening at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
With the win, the Bulldogs (15-4) earned a series victory and have an opportunity to sweep the Bearkats (9-12) with a win tomorrow.
The Bulldogs’ bats broke out for 11 hits in the win, marking the seventh game this season that LA Tech reached double digits in the hits column.
Alexis Gilio led Louisiana Tech at the plate, going 3-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Caroline Easom (2-3, 2 RBI), Aubree Seaney (2-3) and Alannah Rogers (2-3, 2 R) also recorded multiple hits in the contest while Claire Raley and Nicole Hammoude each had a hit.
Freshman Mattison Buster had a quality start, allowing one unearned run and four hits in three innings. Brook Melnychuk took control the rest of the way by throwing four shutout innings in which she struck out two and surrendered three hits and a walk.
Melnychuk earned the win to improve to 7-3 on the season. Buster exited the game with a 4-1 lead, but the starting pitcher must throw four or more innings to be credited with a win.
Amy Abke took the loss for Sam Houston to fall to 3-3 on the year. Abke allowed four runs (two unearned) on eight hits in 2.1 innings.
NOTABLES
– Alexis Gilio went 3-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Her three hits tied a career high, marking the eighth three-hit game of her career. Her two runs scored also tied a career high.
– Caroline Easom went 2-3 with two RBI, notching her 34th career multi-hit game and 18th career multi-RBI game.
– Alannah Rogers went 2-3 with three runs scored. It was her fifth career multi-hit game while her three runs scored tied her career high that she set on Feb. 18 in a 28-2 win over Lindenwood.
– Rogers stole second in the fourth inning for her first career stolen base.
– Aubree Seaney registered her 13th career multi-hit game with a 2-3 night at the plate.
– With 11 hits in the contest, the Bulldogs now have reached double digits in the hits column in seven games, one shy of their 2023 total.
– The Bulldogs are 14-6 all-time in games played on March 9.
– The Bulldogs are 86-48 under head coach Josh Taylor who owns a career head coaching record of 319-216.
– Brook Melnychuk earned her seventh win of the season, eclipsing her win total of six in 2023.
– Tech is off to its best start since 2019 when the eventual CUSA Champions and NCAA Regional participants also started 15-4.
– Louisiana Tech has now won 1,289 games all time, including 523 in Ruston.
– The Bulldogs lead the all-time series with Sam Houston 19-12.
QUOTABLES
On the game…
“Mattison Buster’s change up is really tough and that is what we were looking at against a team that is really agessive. She was able to command her change up and had success with three strong innings. Brook (Melnychuk) came in and slammed the door. She was throwing her change up a little better tonight as well. Pitchers did their job and defensively we had one miscue but other than that our defense was sharp as well. We were able to get some timely hits and away we go.”– head coach Josh Taylor.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Freshman Mattison Buster made her second start of the season for the Bulldogs, while the Bearkats started freshman Amy Abke for the seventh time this year.
Ellie Grill led off the game with an infield single for Sam Houston. Following the leadoff single, Buster retired the next two batters, courtesy of a popout and strikeout. Elia Hebel singled up the middle to put runners on first and second for the Bearkats with two outs. Buster issued a ground out to Hammoude at short to keep the Kats’ off the board.
Alannah Rogers led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle. Alexis Gilio followed with a one-out infield single to put runners on first and second. The Bulldogs took the lead when Caroline Easom singled through the right side, scoring Rogers. An error by the Bearkats’ catcher allowed Gilio to score on the play as well, putting Tech ahead 2-0.
Sam Houston answered back with a run in the second inning. Brodie Quinlan led off the inning on a bunt single and would take second and third on a throwing error before coming around to score on a sacrifice fly by Hannah Schaeffer. LA Tech got sent down in order in the bottom of the second.
Buster kept the Bearkats off the board with a scoreless third inning.
The Bulldogs built up some insurance with two runs in the home half. Claire Raley smashed a single to shortstop to lead off the inning and then stole second base. Alexis Gilio reached on an infield single and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Bearkats third baseman that would score Raley. Easom delivered again with an RBI single through the left side to bring home Gilio and increase the Bulldogs lead to 4-1.
Brook Melnychuk entered in relief of Buster in the fourth. The redshirt junior wasted no time going after the Bearkats by retiring six of her first seven batters faced.
The Bulldogs would add another run in the bottom of the fourth. Alannah Rogers singled with one out in the inning and moved into scoring position by stealing second with two outs. Rogers would score on an Alexis Gilio single to increase the Bulldogs’ lead to 5-1.
In the fifth inning, the Bearkats’ Ellie Grill doubled to the left-center field gap, and the Bulldogs’ Aubree Seaney singled to the right field in the bottom half, which was the only offensive action of the frame.
The Bearkats put a pair of runners on in the sixth, courtesy of a walk and infield single, but Melnychuk worked through it and got an inning-ending popup as Sam Houston stranded two. In the bottom half, LA Tech was retired in order.
An infield single was all Melnychuk would allow in the top of the seventh as she earned her seventh victory of the season and improved to 7-3. Abke took the loss for the Bearkats to fall to 3-3 on the year.
NEXT UP
The Bulldogs will look to sweep the Bearkats in the series finale at 1 p.m. tomorrow.
For all the latest in Bulldog Softball, follow them on Twitter (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB) and Facebook (Louisiana Tech Softball) or visit the official website at LATechSports.com.
