Diamond Dogs are hot, win 6th straight series by taking 2 of 3 from Liberty

Louisiana Tech got the scoring started in the third inning on Thursday night when Zeb Ruddell hit a solo home-run and Will Safford delivered a 2-run triple to give the Bulldogs an early 3-0 lead.

Luke Cooley was on cruise control throughout his six innings on the mound. The left-hander allowed only one hit and struck out seven Flames in his six innings of work.

Unfortunately, Cooley would not factor in the decision.

Leading 4-0 in the seventh inning, Logan Forsythe took to the mound for his 18th appearance this season.

The right-hander had issues finding the strike zone and walked three straight hitters to open the frame.

Nate Crider would then enter in Forsythe's place with the bases loaded and nobody out.

Crider would strikeout the first two hitters he faced before an infield single and 3-run double would tie the game at four.

In the eighth inning with the game tied at four, Liberty would score a pair of runs on a wild pitch and sacrifice fly to take a 6-4 lead.

Trailing 6-4 in the ninth inning, Tech needed a rally.

Mike Ballard singled to leadoff the frame, and Garrison Berkley was hit by a pitch with one out to give the Bulldogs runners on first and second.

After Cade Patterson struck out for the second out of the inning, Trey Hawsey stepped to the plate.

The freshman delivered a 2-run, game-tying double to right field. Eli Berch followed Hawsey with a single to right field to give the Bulldogs a dramatic 7-6 victory!

Game 2 | Bulldogs bullpen falters late, Flames even the series with a 5-3 win on Friday evening

WIN | Josh Swink (4-2) LOSS | Landon Fontenot (1-2) SAVE | Joseph Webb (2)

Liberty took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning on Friday evening after an errant throw from Brooks Roberson allowed two runs to score.

Trailing 2-0 in the sixth inning, Tech opened the frame with three consecutive infield hits by Will Safford, Colton Coates, and Mike Ballard to load the bases.

Sebastian Mexico would drive in Safford on a sacrifice fly, and Trey Hawsey would drive in Coates with a single to centerfield to tie the game at two.

In the top half of the seventh inning, things would unravel a bit for the Tech bullpen.

Landon Fontenot, Nate Crider, Noah Magee, and Ryan Harland would allow the Flames to score three runs on four walks, one hit by pitch, and one error to put the Bulldogs behind at 5-2.

Harland retired all eight hitters he faced out of the Tech bullpen to give the Bulldogs a chance.

Eli Berch doubled in the ninth inning to score Trey Hawsey and trim the deficit to 5-3.

Thaxton Berch and Will Safford would reach following Berch's double to give Colton Coates a chance to tie with the bases loaded and two outs.

The Bulldogs third baseman would fly out to left field to end the threat, and Liberty had suddenly evened the series.

Game 3 | Hawsey homers, Bulldogs hang out late for 4-3 win to clinch the series

WIN | Luke Nichols (4-4) LOSS | Ben Blair (4-2) SAVE | Blake Hooks (7)

Trey Hawsey got the Bulldogs going in the first inning with a two-run home-run over the scoreboard in right field.

After the Flames had evened things up at two on a Cam Troyer home-run in the fourth inning, the Bulldogs would respond.

Cade Patterson and Matt Houston delivered singles with two outs that each drove in a run to stretch Tech's lead back out to 4-2.

Luke Nichols would enter in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and Tech clinging to a 4-2 lead.

Nichols would allow one of the inherited runners to score, but that would be it.

Nichols had perhaps his best out of the season in relief of Tech starter Kade Parker. Nichols did not allow a run and struck out four in three innings of work.

After a scoreless inning in the eighth, Blake Hooks was back out for his second inning of work in the ninth looking to nail down his seventh save of the season.

It was a DOOZY.

Hooks walked three and allowed a double but somehow managed to nail things down after a Flames runner was cut down at the plate for the first out of the inning and a line drive double play ended things.

Tech pitching limited the Flames to a .188 batting average over the course of the three game series.

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