Bulldogs open new Love Shack in style with 9-2 victory over Southern

RUSTON, La. – It was exactly 675 days since the last time Louisiana Tech’s baseball team hosted a game at the corner of Alabama Avenue and Tech Drive, and the Diamond Dogs didn’t disappoint, reeling off five straight runs to close the ballgame in a 9-2 victory over Southern at the new J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.

Senior Parker Bates tallied the first home run in the new ballpark with a two-run blast to right field in the eighth inning, putting an exclamation point on Tech’s opening victory in its new stadium. Bates concluded his first night back in the Love Shack by going 3-for-5 with two doubles, five RBI and the ballpark’s first homer.

Eight Diamond Dogs recorded a hit in Friday’s game, including senior Hunter Wells, who recorded his eighth-career triple in a three-run fourth inning. Wells, the owner of the last hit in the old stadium, now sits just one three-bagger shy of tying the program record.

Sophomore Greg Martinez tallied the first pitching victory in the park’s history, delivering three strong innings in relief for starter Jonathan Fincher, who was on short rest following his first start of the season on Sunday. Martinez allowed just one earned run while striking out two batters for LA Tech (2-2) in his time on the mound.

“It was good to get the first one out of the way,” head coach Lane Burroughs said. “It was kind of different not having fans behind us in the stands, but a tip of the hat to all the folks that showed up beyond the wall in left field. It was outstanding.

“I couldn’t be happier, and what can you say about Parker Bates? It’s pretty appropriate that the guy that’s been in the program so long and our preseason player of the year and all that had the first home run in the Love Shack. He went off.”

Bates, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games on Friday, also recorded the Bulldogs’ first hit in the third inning. The Tyler, Texas native doubled into right center to bring home Wells all the way from first base, making it 2-0 Bulldogs. LA Tech scored the first run in the stadium an inning earlier after a pair of walks, a runner advancing on a fly ball to right field and then an RBI groundout from Philip Matulia, who beat out a would-be double play attempt from the Jaguars.

After Southern’s William Nelson knocked in a run to cut it to 2-1, Matulia and Wells tallied triples to bring in two of the three runs in the fourth inning. LA Tech notched its other run in the frame with a sacrifice fly from Adarius Myers to left field, plating catcher Jorge Corona from third.

With a 5-2 advantage entering the sixth, Bates again doubled to bring home two more LA Tech runs, scoring senior Taylor Young and Myers to make it 7-2. The senior tallied his two-run homer in the eighth in bring the game to its final tally.

Tech pitchers combined to hurl nine strikeouts and allow just two walks in Friday night’s win. Fincher, Martinez and Tanner Knight each tallied two punchouts or more apiece.

LA Tech will return to the Love Shack on Saturday with a 2 p.m. first pitch against Southern. Right-hander Ryan Jennings will take the mound for the ‘Dogs in the second matchup of the weekend.