RUSTON, La. – The Sam Houston Bearkats twice erased deficits, but Louisiana Tech used a late run to clinch the weekend series with a 5-4 win on Saturday at JC Love Field.
Louisiana Tech (32-13, 10-4 CUSA) got an early home run from Cole McConnell, but it was a wild pitch in the seventh which scored Jorge Corona with what would be the winning run.
Nate Crider was one of five Bulldog relievers used on the day and got the win, while Ethan Bates got his second save of the weekend and 14th of the year with a perfect ninth.
Michael Watson struck out three and allowed four runs – one earned – in 4.0 innings, but it was Wyatt Tucker who fell to 3-2 on the year with the loss after allowing a run in the seventh.
At the plate the Kats finished with six hits, two coming from Walker Janek, including the pivotal play of the game in the eighth inning. The Kats trailed 5-4 with two outs in the eighth when Janek deposited the first pitch he saw from reliever Sam Brodersen over the left-field fence for what appeared to be the game-tying home run.
However, LA Tech appealed the play and Janek was called out at the plate for not touching home. The call was upheld after replay, changing the play from a game-tying home run to a triple and the final out of the inning.
The Bulldogs had gotten out to an early lead just two batters into the game when Cole McConnell left the yard for an opposite-field, 2-run homer to left field. A single from Ethan Bates and a double by Jorge Corona followed, setting up a sacrifice fly off the bat of Grant Comeaux for a 3-0 lead.
LA Tech starter Luke Nichols put up a pair of zeros on the mound for the Bulldogs before Sam Houston was able to get to him for a run in the third on an RBI single off the bat of Jake Tatom.
The score stayed there until the sixth when the Kats, with help of a LA Tech error, scored three times to tie it at 4-4. The rally started harmlessly enough on a 1-out single by Jeffrey David. Two batters later he came in to score on a throwing error by Comeaux at third base. Then, following pinch hitter Lane Brewster being hit by a pitch, Caleb Cotton slammed a double off the left-center field wall to score both Brewster and Easton Loyd.
Diving plays on the infield by LA Tech stranded Bearkats on the bases in both the sixth and the seventh, ending both innings, and put the Bulldogs in position to go back in front when Jorge Corona made it home with the eventual winning run on a wild pitch after leading off the bottom of the seventh with a single.
UP NEXT
The Kats will close the series with the Bulldogs on Sunday. The game is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start and will be aired on ESPN+.
