LA Tech drops opener at Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Louisiana Tech dropped game one of the series to Charlotte 11-3 Thursday night at Hayes Stadium.

The 49ers scored multiple runs in four consecutive innings and Spencer Giesting tossed eight strikeouts in seven innings out of the bullpen.

The Bulldogs (36-18, 18-10 C-USA) jumped on the board first in the top of the second. Cole McConnell drew a walk and Jorge Corona connected with a 3-2 pitch taking it over the center field wall for an early 2-0 lead. The Bulldog catcher is now tied for the team-lead in home runs this season with 13.

Cade Gibson made his 12th start Thursday night and was cruising as he retired the first nine batters he faced striking out five of them.

In the bottom of the fourth, the 49ers (35-18, 17-11 C-USA) exploded for five runs and all coming with no outs. The first six batters reached base coming on five hits. Center fielder Jake Cunningham blooped a two-run single into left center to take a 3-2 lead. Cam Fisher and Jack Dragum both followed up with RBI knocks to cap off the five-run inning.

Charlotte scored a pair of runs in each of the next three innings. Fisher blasted his team-leading 18th home run on a two-run homer. Josh Madole singled with two outs in the sixth bringing home two more extending the lead 9-2. The two runs in the seventh came on back-to-back sacrifice flies.

In the top of the seventh, Taylor Young belted his ninth home run of the year on a solo shot. Young got another shot to the plate in the ninth as he singled through the left side recording his 280th career-hit passing Hunter Wells for the most in program history.

NOTABLES
• Corona and Young responsible for five of the six hits
• Young goes 3-for-4 coming just a triple short of the cycle
• Young breaks the all-time hits record at Louisiana Tech with 280; passing Hunter Wells’ record set last season
• Corona ties Steele Netterville for the team-lead in home runs (13)
• Adarius Myers records his 11th double of the season

QUOTABLES
Head Coach Lane Burroughs

“You know they are going to make a run because those guys can really hit. That’s how they have been winning all these games. We give up a five-spot, but you have to bounce back and throw up zeroes after that. I thought we hit some balls really hard. I don’t think we played terrible. Besides Cole’s two errors when he kicked it, I thought we played really good defense. Cole made a great leaping grab at the wall and Logan McLeod made a great play almost turning the double play. We are playing a team that is really hot and you have to find a way to minimize those innings and tonight we just couldn’t do it.”

“Congratulations to Taylor. For Taylor to keep chugging along and that shows you how long he has been in this lineup. Proud of him.”

“You got to come back tomorrow since it is a new day and we have done that all year long. I was proud of Cade with the way he started. I thought the balls they ended up hitting were solid pitches, but after the five runs you have to make a move. Harland did a good job calming the storm, but you have to find a zero in their somewhere.”

UP NEXT
LA Tech meets Charlotte Friday for game two of the three-game set at 5 p.m. CT.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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