Photo Gallery | 2024 CUSA Softball Championship Central
 
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – LA Tech outfielder Katelin Cooper went 2-3 with a pair of RBI singles and pitcher Brook Melnychuk tossed a three-hit shutout in the No. 3 Bulldogs’ 2-0 triumph over No. 6 UTEP on Wednesday afternoon at the NM State Softball Complex.
 
Both of Cooper’s clutch hits came from the nine hole with two outs as she dropped a bloop single to put LA Tech (32-21) on the board in the second, and she pulled another base knock into right field to double the lead in the fourth.
 
Melnychuk (11-7) needed just 69 pitches to navigate a shutout and finished with four strikeouts, no walks and only three hits surrendered. UTEP’s Faith Aragon (8-6) was tagged with the loss despite allowing just one earned run on six hits in six frames.
 
The Bulldogs will face No. 2 WKU at 2:30 p.m. MT on Thursday, while the Miners (25-20) will take on No. 5 Jax State in an elimination game at 6 p.m. MT on Wednesday.