Burchfield’s grand slam lifts Bulldogs to win over Cajuns

RUSTON – Louisiana Tech hit four home runs, none bigger than Walker Burchfield’s pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh, to help lift the Bulldogs to a 12-8 victory over rival UL-Lafayette on Tuesday night at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.

The final midweek game of the season got delayed two hours due to rain/lightning. Par for the course as midweeks have not been too kind to LA Tech (25-25), having lost five of their last six such games including a loss at ULL (32-18).

And things started to look a little “midweek” bleak again for the ‘Dogs as the Ragin’ Cajuns collected nine of their 15 hits in the fifth, sixth, and seventh to go from being down 2-6 to being up 8-6.

LA Tech built its four-run advantage thanks to a four-spot in the second that included two homers (a golfed solo shot by Philip Matulia and a 2-run dinger over the Welcome to the Love Shack sign in left by Dalton Davis) plus an RBI single ripped past the shortstop by Colton Hegwood.

The home team gladly added two more runs in the third without even having to swing a big, tallying three walks and two hit-by-pitches.

Meanwhile, starting right-hander Alec Sparks lasted 4.2 innings, allowing just two runs at the time and then exiting with two runners on and two outs. Ryan Harland came on in relief and proceeded to give up four straight base knocks – two infield singles and two doubles. Suddenly, the game was tied at 6-6.

ULL made it six unanswered runs as LA Tech went up to bat, down two, in the bottom of the seventh.

Brody Drost got the rally started with a single through the left side. Three batters later, the bases were juiced when Adarius Myers walked for a second time tonight to plate a run.

The Cajuns went to the bullpen, bringing in left-hander Blake Marshall (0-1). LA Tech head coach Lane Burroughs countered with pinch-hitter Walker Burchfield.

Burchfield’s Grand Slam Lifts Bulldogs to Win over Cajuns
5/9/2023 | Baseball | Box Score
RUSTON – Louisiana Tech hit four home runs, none bigger than Walker Burchfield’s pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh, to help lift the Bulldogs to a 12-8 victory over rival UL-Lafayette on Tuesday night at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.

The final midweek game of the season got delayed two hours due to rain/lightning. Par for the course as midweeks have not been too kind to LA Tech (25-25), having lost five of their last six such games including a loss at ULL (32-18).

And things started to look a little “midweek” bleak again for the ‘Dogs as the Ragin’ Cajuns collected nine of their 15 hits in the fifth, sixth, and seventh to go from being down 2-6 to being up 8-6.

LA Tech built its four-run advantage thanks to a four-spot in the second that included two homers (a golfed solo shot by Philip Matulia and a 2-run dinger over the Welcome to the Love Shack sign in left by Dalton Davis) plus an RBI single ripped past the shortstop by Colton Hegwood.

The home team gladly added two more runs in the third without even having to swing a big, tallying three walks and two hit-by-pitches.

Meanwhile, starting right-hander Alec Sparks lasted 4.2 innings, allowing just two runs at the time and then exiting with two runners on and two outs. Ryan Harland came on in relief and proceeded to give up four straight base knocks – two infield singles and two doubles. Suddenly, the game was tied at 6-6.

ULL made it six unanswered runs as LA Tech went up to bat, down two, in the bottom of the seventh.

Brody Drost got the rally started with a single through the left side. Three batters later, the bases were juiced when Adarius Myers walked for a second time tonight to plate a run.

The Cajuns went to the bullpen, bringing in left-hander Blake Marshall (0-1). LA Tech head coach Lane Burroughs countered with pinch-hitter Walker Burchfield.
PINCH-HIT GRAND SLAM WALKER BURCHFIELD

pic.twitter.com/6vLPhqcUCj
— Diamond Dogs (@LATechBSB) May 10, 2023

Burchfield got the better of Marshall, sending the first pitch he saw deep over the left field wall for a grand slam to pull the Bulldogs back in front, 11-8. Then in the eighth inning, Brody Drost sent the fourth baseball of the night over the wall to make it 12-8.

Meanwhile, Ethan Bates (4-2), who had worked the last out of the seventh and stress-free eighth, came back out to work the ninth. It was not stress free as ULL loaded the bases with two outs, but Bates struck out CJ Willis to close out the victory.

QUOTABLES
Head coach Lane Burroughs

“We talk about being able to adapt and adjust all the time in our program. I thought our guys did a great job with the delay. Our mindset was really good. Our last midweek of the year against a rivalry school. Obviously, the biggest swing of the night was [Walker] Burchfield’s pinch-hit grand slam. That was huge. Alec Sparks was outstanding, gave us a great start. Caden Copeland was really good against their lefties. Really proud of our guys. We swung the bats good against a good team.”

UP NEXT
LA Tech travels to Boca Raton, Florida this weekend for a three-game conference series with Florida Atlantic. Game one is Friday with first pitch set for 6 p.m. The Cajuns will wrap up its 2023 home schedule beginning Friday when it hosts Texas State in a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park. First pitch for Friday’s opener is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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