By Stephen Featherston, Louisiana Tech Director of Strategic Communications; featured photo by Josh McDaniel
RUSTON — Claire Raley hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh in game two of Sunday’s doubleheader to give Louisiana Tech a Conference USA series win over Jacksonville State. The Bulldogs won game two 1-0 on Raley’s walk-off hit to complete the series win after falling 9-6 to the Gamecocks in the first game on Sunday.
Allie Floyd (17-6) tossed a two-hit shutout in Sunday’s win to move the Bulldogs to 23-15 (10-5 CUSA). The win gives LA Tech sole possession of second place in the CUSA standings behind Liberty.
Floyd’s complete win in the circle marked her 17th win of the season and her first shutout of the year. It was her 11th complete game after she tossed 7.0 innings, while allowing just two hits and two walks to pair with six strikeouts. She carried a no hitter into the top of the sixth inning before allowing a leadoff infield single.
Laney Johnson the loss in game one after pitching 5.0 innings in relief and allowing seven runs (five earned) on eight hits. She walked three and struck out one after relieving Alyssa Martin who started the game,. Martin allowed two runs on five hits in one inning of action. Mattison Buster tossed the final frame and did not allow a run.
Elena Heng finished the day with three hits, while Nicole Hammoude, Allie Furr, Reagan Marchant, and Alannah Rogers all had two apiece. Addison Snyder and Alexis Giliofinished with two RBI each.
GAME ONE – Jax State 9, LA Tech 6
Game one was a back-and-forth affair that saw multiple lead changes and ties. Jax state took an early 2-0 lead after collecting five hits in the first inning. JSU used a leadoff single, followed by a double to put two on board for the three-hole hitter who connected on an RBI single. Two more singles would plate a second run, but bad base running from the Gamecocks saved LA Tech as a base runner was caught in a pickle after rounding second.
LA Tech responded with three runs on two hits and an error in the bottom of the frame to take a 3-2 lead. Heng reached on a fielding error to start the inning and took second on a stolen base. A single to short allowed Furr to reach base while Heng advanced to third. Marchant was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Hammoude who was able to plate Heng for the Bulldogs’ first run. Raley grounded out to third but allowed Furr and Marchant to move into scoring position for foe Gilio. The senior outfielder ripped a single up the middle that scored both Furr and Marchant to make it 3-2 LA Tech.
Jax State used a sac fly to tie the game at 3-3 in the third, but LA Tech responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 5-3 lead. Snyder hit a bases clearing double to left field that scored Marchant and Hammoude who reached on back-to-back singles to start the inning.
The Gamecocks took the lead for good in the top of the fourth after plating three runs on four hits and one error. Jax State used a single and a double to score its first run of the frame. The inning continued after a fielding error that would have ended the top half, which allowed a two-out single that plated two more Gamecock runs making it 6-5.
Both teams scored in the seventh as Jax State added three to its total, while LA Tech could only scrape across one run as Furr scored on a throwing error after reaching on a fielding error.
The Bulldogs were outhit 14-9 and left six runners on base.
GAME TWO – LA Tech 1, Jax State 0
Game two had an opposite feel from the first game of the doubleheader as Floyd and Kat Carter battled it out in the circle. It was Floyd who earned the win after Raley’s timely two-out single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Carter allowed one run on six hits with four strikeouts while walking six.
Marchant had the games only extra base hit as she doubled in the bottom of the third. Marchant’s double in the third put two on for Hammoude as Heng led off the frame with a single. Hammoude drew a free pass, but Raley was unable to plate any runs after a fielder’s choice and a 5-2 putout from the Jax State defense. A Gilio strikeout would strand three runners on base, as the Bulldogs left eight aboard throughout the game.
Still scoreless through six 1/2, head coach Josh Taylor went to his bench and had Kaylee Grealy pinch hit to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Grealy did her job and singled up the middle and was pinch ran for by Jina Baffuto. After a foul out, Furr singled up the middle which allowed Baffuto to advance to second. Marchant drew a walk to load the bases, followed by a second foul out of the inning from Hammoude. With two outs and three on, Raley delivered a single to third base that allowed Baffuto to score, giving LA Tech a 1-0 walk-off win over the Gamecocks.
NOTABLES
The Bulldogs move to 5-8 all-time against Jax State after the split.
Alyssa Martin made her sixth start of the season in game one.
Alexis Gilio recorded her fourth multi-RBI game of the season in game one.
Addison Snyder recorded her third multi-RBI game of the season in game one.
Elena Heng collected two hits for her 15thmulti-hit game of the season in game one.
Nicole Hammoude recorded her 10th multi-hit game of the season in game one.
Allie Floyd made her 18 start of the season in the circle in game two and moved to 17-7 on the season after earning the win.
Allie Floyd pitched her first shutout of the season and her 11th complete game after not allowing a run across seven innings of work in game two.
Nicole Hammoude extended her reached base streak to 24 games after reaching safely in both games of the doubleheader.
NEXT UP
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Tuesday night as UL-Lafayette will make the trip to Ruston for a 6:00 p.m. contest. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.