Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
BASEBALL
The Diamond Dogs ended the opening weekend of the 2025 season with a perfect 4-0 record, clinching the sweep over the Maine Black Bears Sunday afternoon, 9-8.
Tech won Friday by a score of 14-3 and swept Saturday’s doubleheader 4-2 and 4-0.
On Sunday Maine came out of the gates early, putting up a quick run in the first inning before Louisiana Tech responded with a four-spot in the home half.
Garrison Berkley led off with a triple to the left field wall on the second pitch thrown by the Maine hurler. The very next at-bat, Michael Ballard tied it with a ripped double down the third base line for his third double on the weekend. After Colton Coates reached base on a walk, Ballard stole third to put runners on the corners with one out for Zeb Ruddell.
Ruddell reached base on a fielding error by Maine’s first baseman to bring Ballard across the plate and give the Bulldogs the lead. The scoring continued after Coates stole third along with Ruddell moving up to second to put two runners in scoring position for Eli Berch.
The Bulldog backstop drove a 2-1 pitch up the middle to score Coates and give the ‘Dogs a two-run advantage. Brody Drost then picked up an RBI to give LA Tech a 4-1 lead through the first frame.
After keeping the Black Bears at bay in the second, the ‘Dogs put two more runs on the board on a Ballard sacrifice fly and a Coates RBI double to right.
Maine answered back with four runs of their own in the third to cut their deficit to just one run and played a sly pitching game with the Bulldogs by not allowing a hit for 19 consecutive batters.
A Black Bear solo home run on the first pitch of the fifth inning tied the game at 6-6 before Maine would then record a double, a fielder’s choice and a groundout to take a one-run lead.
After being held at bay for four-straight innings, with one out on an 0-2 count Ruston native Cade Patterson drove his first career home run over the left field wall to even the game back up at 7-7. But the lead did not last long, as a hit-by-pitch and back-to-back singles put Maine back on top by one.
In the bottom of the eighth with two outs, Ballard knocked a base hit that was just high enough to get over the outstretched Maine second baseman. As Coates is in his at-bat, Maine’s pitcher balked to put Ballard in scoring position with a chance to tie late in the game. Down to his final strike of the inning, the LA Tech designated hitter slapped a single to the left-center gap for the second tied score in the last three innings.
Extra innings were played at the Love Shack for the first time in 2025 as neither team could get a run across in the ninth.
Blake Hooks kept the Black Bears in check in the top of the 10th. After allowing a leadoff single, he bounced back to get a pop up and a double play to give LA Tech a chance.
Berkley wasted no time singling through the right side before Ballard would move him to second on what was played as a sacrifice bunt, but there was no Maine fielder to cover first base to set the Diamond Dogs up with runners on first and second with no outs.
Coates flied out to left deep enough to advance Berkley and Ballard, which forced Maine to intentionally walk Trey Hawsey and load the bases for Patterson.
Patterson battled his entire at-bat, fouling off six-straight pitches before delivering the final blow with a ball hit to the right-center gap. The center fielder attempted to throw Berkley out at home, but the throw was too late as LA Tech notched its second-straight season with a 4-0 start.
The Bulldogs return to action on the road when they travel to Hattiesburg, Mississippi for a three-game series with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Pete Taylor Park.
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SOFTBALL
Seven runs across three innings propelled the Louisiana Tech softball team to a 7-4 win over Southern Miss on Sunday afternoon at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field. The Bulldogs finished the LA Tech Classic 2-2 after earning wins over ULM and USM and move to 4-5 on the season.
The Bulldogs had four players register two hits apiece in Elena Heng, Alexis Gilio, Alannah Rogers and Reagan Marchant. Paris Endris and Marchant led the team with two RBI each, while Gilio and Rogers plated one run each.
Allie Floyd earned her fourth win of the season and moves to 4-2 in the circle after tossing 4.0 innings of relief work and striking out seven while allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits. Floyd relieved Alyssa Martin who recorded a quality start after pitching 3.0 innings and allowing one run on three hits to go along with three strikeouts.
The Golden Eagles struck first in the final game of the LA Tech Classic as they plated one run in both the third and fourth inning to take a 2-0 lead. USM used an RBI single to score the first run and pushed a second across in the fifth after the second of the batter reached on an error and would score on a sac fly after getting into scoring position on a passed ball and a wild pitch.
The Bulldogs tied the game in the bottom of the fourth as Endris, who was making her first start of the season, recorded a two RBI single for her first hit of the season. Endris drove in Rogers who singled to start the inning and Raley who reached on a fielder’s choice.
LA Tech tacked onto its lead after plating four runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-3 lead. Allie Furr drew a pinch hit walk and advanced to second on a Gilio single. A throwing error advanced Gilio and Furr into scoring position which allowed Rogers to score Gilio on a single to left field to make it 5-3. Marchant hit her second home run of the weekend as she belted a ball to left center that brought the score to 6-3.
The Bulldogs scored one final run in the bottom of the sixth as Gilio tripled to right field to score Heng who reached on a fielder’s choice.
Southern Miss threatened in the bottom half as two runners reached base after a leadoff single, a strikeout and another single. Floyd who strike out the final two batters for her sixth and seventh strikeout of the night.
Tech will host Northwestern State Tuesday at 4 p.m.
