LA Tech cruises to victory over WKU in series opener

RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech captured game one of a wweekend series with Western Kentucky, 16-4, behind an offensive outburst led by four different Bulldogs with three-hit outings Friday night at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.

For the first time this season, Taylor Young led off the bottom of the first with a solo shot, his eighth of the year, to take a 1-0 lead. After a Cole McConnell double and Jorge Corona walk, Adarius Myers singled with two outs to bring in the second run.

Following McConnell’s second hit of the game, Corona lifted a deep drive over the right center field wall to extend the lead, 4-1.

Western Kentucky (17-31, 7-18 C-USA) answered in the top of the fourth with two runs as Ricardo Leonett drove in a run on a single to left and Jackson Gray drove a two-out double off the wall, but McConnell fielded it cleanly off the wall and began an incredible relay to Young and Corona to cut down the game tying run at the plate.

Bulldog starter Cade Gibson earned the win and was lifted after five solid innings leaving the squad with a 4-3 lead. The senior left-hander went five innings allowing three runs on nine hits with no walks and three punchouts.

LA Tech (34-17, 16-9 C-USA) blew it open in the bottom of the sixth scoring five runs on four hits. Steele Netterville drew a bases loaded walk with two outs and McConnell launched a no-doubt shot for his second grand slam of the season making it a 9-3 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Myers led off with a single to left until facing an hour and 19-minute lightning delay. Jackson Lancaster reached on an infield single following the delay and began the rally. Wade Elliott ripped a single up the middle for his third hit of the game. The Bulldogs went on to score five more runs with two outs.

Steele Netterville reached on an error bringing a run home. Corona notched his third hit bringing in two more and Myers also recorded his third hit doubling off the center field wall and bringing in the seventh run of the inning.

NOTABLES
• Three Bulldogs homer
• Four Bulldogs with three-hit games
• Bulldogs strike for 17 hits
• Corona goes 3-for-4 with four RBI and 12th homer of the year
• McConnell goes 3-for-4 with four RBI on a grand slam, his second grand slam of the year
• Myers goes 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI
• Elliott goes 3-for-5 with two RBI
• Gibson earns fifth win of the season

QUOTABLES
Head Coach Lane Burroughs

“Extremely proud of our hitters. Last weekend we didn’t score a lot of runs and I thought having the two days off and no midweek I thought we looked fresh tonight. It was great to see Taylor lead things off with a home run. We load the bases and then obviously Cole jumped on one and knocked it out. Jorge was good he had three hits with four RBI. Adarius was good and all of our hitters.”

“Cade didn’t pitch bad. Most of their hits came with two strikes and he just couldn’t put them away. Greg and Harland were solid as well out of the bullpen.”

“I liked the maturity our team showed coming out of the delay. I have been in that situation to where you are losing a game and then the game turns around. As a coach that is kind of our worry, but our guys stayed focused and applied pressure to put the game away in the seventh.”

UP NEXT
LA Tech will host Western Kentucky on Senior Day and looks to clinch the series Saturday at 2 p.m. with Senior Day beginning at 1:40.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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