Louisiana Tech (19-18, 9-6) swept Florida International this past weekend in a pivotal C-USA weekend series. The Bulldogs face a tough slate this week with Southern Miss at home on Tuesday before traveling to Dallas for a rematch and a crucial C-USA series.
GAME ONE | Bulldogs snap a three-game skid, defeat Panthers 7-5.
WIN | Jonathan Fincher (6-2) LOSS | Angel Tiburcio (3-3)
The Diamond Dogs ended their three-game losing streak on Friday night with a 7-5 victory over Florida International.
Senior LHP Jonathan Fincher got the win for the Bulldogs, lasting 6.0 innings, throwing 6 strikeouts, and allowing 4 earned runs. The Bulldogs advanced to 5-0 in C-USA series openers, all games that Fincher has started.
RHP Landon Tomkins earned his second save of the year for Tech, lasting 3.0 innings, throwing 4 strikeouts, and only allowing 1 earned run.
After FIU took an early 1-0 lead, Adarius Myers and Walker Burchfield helped the Bulldogs take a 2-1 lead after a round of singles.
Louisiana Tech would extend its lead on a Brody Drost triple to score Dalton Davis. Jorge Corona would then score Drost on an RBI groundout and give Tech a 4-1 lead after the 3rd.
Drost would get two more RBIs in the third and scored on a fielder’s choice by Philip Matulia to stretch the Bulldogs’ lead to 7-1.
In the 6th, FIU hit a pair of homers to narrow the lead to 7-4 and bring Tomkins out of the bullpen. After scoring another run, the Panthers had the tying run at the plate with two outs, before Tomkins threw a game-sealing strikeout and secured a 7-5 Tech victory.
GAME TWO | Matulia’s walk-off homer lifts Bulldogs over Panthers.
WIN | Ethan Bates (3-1) LOSS | Kevin Martin (0-4)
Greg Martinez gave Louisiana Tech an impressive, quality start by lasting 6.1 innings, throwing 3 strikeouts, and only allowing 1 earned run.
Ryan Harland pitched 1.2 innings for the Bulldogs, allowing 0 runs before Ethan Bates earned the win with 3.0 innings pitched, 1 strikeout, and 1 earned run.
This well-pitched affair was scoreless until the 6th inning with Florida International taking a 1-0 over Louisiana Tech.
In the bottom of the 8th, the Bulldogs would finally get on the scoreboard after Dalton Davis hit a single to score Logan McLeod and tied the game at 1-1.
After allowing a devastating home run in the top of the 9th, the Bulldogs were able to score on a Colton Hegwood single that brought in Bates and even the game at 2-2.
Neither team had scored entering the bottom of the 11th with no outs and no one on base, Philip Matulia did what he does best and rocked a solo home run to walk off the game for Louisiana Tech.
GAME THREE | Bulldogs win first C-USA series finale, sweep FIU.
WIN | Nick Fraginals (1-1) LOSS | Orlando Hernandez (1-4)
Alec Sparks who had previously started on Saturdays for Tech, got the Sunday to start this past weekend. Sparks lasted 3.2 innings, threw 1 strikeout, and allowed 1 earned run.
Miami native Nick Fraginals earned his first win and only allowed 1 earned run in 1.1 innings. Ryan Harland pitched for 2.0 innings, threw 1 strikeout, and allowed two runs.
Landon Tomkins made another appearance in this series, throwing 2.0 innings. 5 strikeouts, to go along with 0 earned runs.
Louisiana Tech took an early lead and never looked back, starting with a double from Jorge Corona to score Dalton Davis and take a 1-0 lead.
With the bases loaded, Adarius Myers walked, Walker Burchfield hit a single, and Will Safford and Logan McLeod both hit sacrifice flies for runs, followed by a Davis double to score Burchfield and give Tech a 4-0 lead.
In the 3rd, Corona and Ethan Bates each hit a solo homer to right field to stretch the Bulldog lead out to 6-0.
After allowing a couple of runs, McLeod was hit by a pitch before scoring on a Davis double to extend the lead to 7-2. The Panthers would respond with a run of their own before Tech came back with 3 more runs in the bottom of the 5th.
With two outs, Burchfield launched a two-run homer to score Myers before Safford scored on a triple from McLeod, giving Louisiana Tech a 10-3 lead.
The Panthers would score a couple of runs in the 7th, before Tomkins came in and shut down FIU, securing the win and a C-USA series sweep for the Bulldogs.
C-USA Standings
1) UTSA (12-2)
2) DBU (12-3)
3) Charlotte (9-5)
4) LA Tech (9-6)
5) MTSU (8-7)
Up Next
Louisiana Tech hosts old rival Southern Miss (22-12, 10-5) on Tuesday before traveling to face Dallas Baptist (27-9, 12-3) in a rematch of a C-USA series that the Bulldogs lost 2 out of 3 of in March.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm on Tuesday night, 6:30 on Friday night, 2 pm on Saturday, and 1 pm on Sunday.
Tuesday’s game will be broadcast on CUSA.tv and can be listened to on Sportstalk 97.7 FM. This weekend’s games will be broadcast on Patriot Network and can also be listened to on Sportstalk 97.7 FM.
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