Tech races to midweek triumph over Mississippi Valley State, 21-1

Bulldogs dominate Tuesday night

RUSTON, La. – The Louisiana Tech baseball team pounded out 18 hits and saw eight different pitchers combine to allow just one unearned run in a 21-1 triumph over the visiting Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils on Tuesday evening in front of 1,397 at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.

The Bulldogs (12-8) notched season highs in both hits (18) and runs (21) in a balanced offensive effort that saw 12 different players secure a base knock.

The Tech pitching staff was equally impressive, holding the Delta Devils (2-8) to just one unearned run on five hits. Senior Matt Miller started the game, pitching one inning, as planned, ceding way to fellow starter Logan Robbins, who improved to 2-1 as the pitcher of record after his scoreless second inning.

Dane Kapande (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K), Tanner Propst (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K), Bryce Fagan (1.0 IP, 1 K), Logan Bailey (1.0 IP, 1 H), Beau Billings (1.0 IP, 1 R (unearned))) and Graham Hackbarth (1.0 IP) combined to close out the remainder of the ballgame.

The Bulldogs began the offensive onslaught in the second inning, scoring five runs in the frame, off MVSU starter, Antonio Walker (0-1). Shelton Wallace began the scoring with an RBI groundout, before an RBI single from Manny Garcia, an RBI groundout from Taylor Young, an RBI double from Parker Bates and a run-scoring wild pitch, plated five in the frame.

The Bulldogs would add two more in the third on a sac fly from Mason Robinson and solo home run to right from Shelton Wallace.

Leading now, 7-0, Tech again added a crooked number in the ensuing inning, plating four runs in the bottom of the fourth, courtesy of an RBI single from Robinson and a three-run blast to left from Garcia, increasing the lead to 11-0.

In the fifth, the Bulldogs capitalized on a fielding error to begin the frame, and plated six runs (all unearned). Seth White pinch hit for Shelton Wallace and walked with the bases loaded, recording his first RBI of the year, and then Blake Johnson pinch hit for Garcia, and laced a two-RBI single up the middle for his first run-scoring hit of the year. Graham Hackbarth joined the party, and notched his first RBI of the year on a two-run single to left, capping off the six-run frame.

With a 17-0 lead, the Bulldogs would add four more in the sixth after additional RBI base knocks from White and Hackbarth.

The Delta Devils scored their lone run in the game in the top of the eighth, after an RBI single from Kameron Spenser scored Morgan Lomax who reached base and moved to third on a pair of Tech errors.
Six Bulldogs finished the evening with multi-RBI efforts (Robinson- 3, Wallace-2, White-2, Garcia-4, Johnson-2, Hackbarth-3). Mason Mallard reached base all six times via a pair of hits and tied a program single-game record with four walks.

The win marked career victory no. 200 for head coach Lane Burroughs.

Tech will hit the road this weekend, traveling to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (7-13, 2-1 C-USA) in Tech’s first league road series of the year.

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