#13 Louisiana Tech (26-9, 12-4) and Southern Miss (23-12, 10-5) played as evenly matched of a series this weekend as one could imagine as both teams came away with two wins.
Over the four games, there were three one-run games and the Tech outscored Southern Miss 26-25 overall.
Incredible series by two teams that look poised to make noise in postseason play.
Let's take a look at how it happened.
Game 1 | Late home-run by Trimble propels USM to 4-3 win
In game one of the doubleheader Saturday, Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss traded jabs throughout the contest.
Hunter Wells got Tech on the board early with a solo home-run to CF to give Tech a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Chris Sargent answered in the 4th with a 2-run shot to give the Golden Eagles a 2-1 lead.
USM would extend its lead in the 6th inning on a Reece Ewing RBI single to make it 3-1 Golden Eagles.
Tech responded in the bottom half of the 6th inning with a pair of RBI 2B by Hunter Wells and Manny Garcia to tie the game at 3.
In the 8th inning Reed Trimble delivered a solo home-run to RF to give Southern Miss a 4-3 lead which proved to be the final.
Taylor Young and Hunter Wells each had two hits for Tech in the defeat.
Jonathan Fincher allowed three earned runs in six innings of work. Fincher received a no-decision.
Kyle Crigger received his first loss of the year after allowing the home-run to Trimble in the 8th.
Game 2 | Jennings solid on the mound in Tech's 5-3 win
With Tech badly needing a victory in the night cap of the doubleheader, Ryan Jennings delivered on the mound.
After having had his struggles for a number of weeks, Jennings delivered 6.2 innings of 3-run ball for the Bulldogs in earning his 3rd win of the season. The New Braunfels, TX native also struck out a career-high nine batters.
Phillip Matulia got Tech on the board early with a two-run home-run to RF in the second inning to make it 2-0 Tech.
With the score tied at three in the 5th inning, Hunter Wells and Parker Bates delivered back-to-back RBI doubles to give Tech a 5-3 lead.
Landon Tomkins came on to throw the final 2.1 innings and earn his 4th save of the season.
Game 3 | Late rally not enough as USM defeats Tech 12-11
In game one Sunday afternoon both offenses showed up in a MAJOR way.
Southern Miss opened the game with a five-run first inning that was highlighted by a Will McGillis 3-run home-run left-CF.
In the bottom half of the first, Tech responded with four runs of its own after Parker Bates and Phillip Matulia both homered.
With USM leading 8-5 in the 5th, the Golden Eagles would tack on three more runs when Blake Johnson and Gabe Montenegro delivered run-scoring hits to make it 11-5.
Tech would respond.
Jorge Corona and Shemar Page helped Tech close the gap to 11-8 with RBIs of their own in the bottom half of the 5th.
USM would add one run in the 7th to stretch the lead out to 12-8 entering the bottom of the 7th inning.
In the bottom of the 7th, Taylor Young delivered an RBI 2B to score Cole McConnell and cut the lead to 12-9.
Hunter Wells would follow Young with a 2-RBI single to score Logan McCleod and Young to trim the lead to 12-11.
After a Parker Bates single, Manny Garcia stepped to the plate.
Garcia sent a deep drive to left field that was caught on the warning track to give USM the 12-11 win. Missed a walk-off HR by five feet.
Wells, Bates, Matulia, McConnell, Corona, and Ben Brantley all had two hits in the loss for Tech.
Gade Gibson received the loss on the mound after allowing eight earned runs in 3.1 innings of work.
Game 4 | Garcia crushes 2-run walk off HR to give Tech 7-6 win
Needing a win to salvage a series split, Tech found a way to overcome adversity.
Leading 3-2 in the bottom of the 5th inning, Taylor Young scored on a wild pitch and Phillip Matulia drove in a run on an RBI 2B to give Tech a 5-2 lead.
Landon Tomkins entered for Jarret Whorff in the 6th inning with two men on for USM.
Slade Wilks came off the bench to hit an opposite field 3-run HR to tie the game at 5. It was Wilks first home-run of his career.
Later in the inning, USM would take a 6-5 lead on a Danny Lynch RBI single.
Trailing 6-5 in the bottom of the 7th, Young leadoff with an infield single to get things started for Tech.
After Hunter Wells and Parker Bates flew out, Manny Garcia stepped to the plate.
On the second pitch of the at bat, Garcia launched a no doubter to LF off the apartments to give Tech a 7-6 win. The HR was Garcia's second of the game.
Kyle Crigger received the win on the mound after working 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.
CUSA Standings
Join us at BleedTechBlue.com for only $9.95 a month. We are your #1 source for all things Diamond Dogs baseball throughout the 2021 season.
