LA Tech falls twice in Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. – Louisiana Tech took No. 1 ranked Florida State down to the wire before the defending national champions scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to pull away for a 4-0 victory Saturday at UCF Softball Complex.

Tech (15-5) then fell 5-2 to UCF in a game that saw the Lady Techsters strand 12 runners on base while also costing itself with a number of base running mistakes.

“We went for two wins today, instead of playing for a split,” said Tech head coach Mark Montgomery. “I could have saved Preslee for the second game, but we felt we could beat Florida State. I couldn’t be more proud of the way we played against them. It’s a 1-run game with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.

“But we can’t played like that against the No. 1 team in the country and then turn around and play like we did against UCF. And they are a good team. But we have to be better. We left way too many runners on base. And in all honesty, we hit into some bad luck. We hit the ball well against UCF’s No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers, but we just couldn’t get the big hit when we needed to. We would hit it hard but right at someone.

“I’m disappointed that we went 0-2 today, but I know this team can play with anyone in the country when we bring our best effort. This proved it.”

Tech will return to action next Saturday at the Mississippi State Invitational.

Game 1: Florida State 4, LA Tech 0

Preslee Gallaway was dominate once again for Tech, holding the nation’s most potent offensive team to only one run on four hits and no walks over 5.0 innings of action. The Pilot Point, Texas, native needed just 58 pitches to get through five innings, surrendering a run in the bottom of the fifth inning that broke a scoreless tie.

“Preslee was so good. So good,” said Montgomery. “They only had four hits off of her in five innings. They came in with 33 home runs on the year and averaging nine runs a game. They are batting over .400 as a team. She kept their bats quiet, and I couldn’t be more proud of her.”

Florida State (19-0) added some insurance in the bottom of the sixth inning. With two outs and a runner on base, the Seminoles recorded four straight hits against Tech reliever Krystal De La Cruz to extend its lead to 4-0.

Tech faced Florida State All-American Meghan King, who limited the Lady Techsters to three hits in the loss, two by Conference USA player of the year Morgan Turkoly and one by sophomore Bayli Simon.

“King is unbelievable, but we still did a really nice job against her. We squared some balls up. She only had four strikeouts and she is averaging close to 10 a game. There is a reason she led them to a national championship last year.”

King improved to 9-0 on the season and lowered her season earned run average to 0.60. She struck out four batters.

Game 2: UCF 5, LA Tech 2

The story of the game was Tech’s struggle to plate runs as the Lady Techsters hit into two double plays, had a runner picked off of third and still left 12 runners stranded on base in the loss to the Knights.

Tech stranded multiple runners in four innings and had two more innings where line drive double plays prevented it from happening. The Lady Techsters loaded the bases in the first inning and put two more runners on in the second inning, but with an opportunity to take the early lead couldn’t plate a run either time.

UCF jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Tech freshman Hannah Koenig, who retired the first four batters of the game, got into trouble in the second inning, allowing four hits and a walk. With UCF leading 3-0, Krystal De la Cruz came on in relief of Koenig with runners on base but the Knights added a fourth run on a single up the middle before Tech finally gout of the frame.

Tech finally scratched for two runs in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, a fielding error by the UCF shortstop on a ground ball off the bat of Morgan Turkoly allowed Berkley Calapp and Marilyn Rizzato to score to cut the deficit to 4-2.

UCF got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fourth as a two-out fielding error by Tech led directly to the run and a 5-2 deficit.

Tech loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fifth inning but following a strike out, Mary Terral lined a ball that was caught by the UCF shortstop who doubled off a Lady Techster base runner at second to end the frame.

In the sixth inning, the first two batters reached base for Tech as Berkley Calapp singled and Lindsay Edwards walked. Turkoly then ripped a ball down the first base line that was caught by the first baseman who doubled off Edwards.

Tech had a chance in the seventh inning. With two outs, Bayli Simon reached on an error and Marilyn Rizzato singled. However, UCF recorded the final out as Terral popped out to end the game.

Rizzato (3-4), Calapp (2-2, run), Sloane Stewartson (1-4) and Terral (1-4) led Tech at the plate.