Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Baseball
The Diamond ‘Dogs secured a series victory on Sunday after downing the Wichita State Shockers, 7-1, in the series finale at Eck Stadium. It was the first road series win over the Shockers in program history, as well as the first road series win of the season.
Tech won Friday 27-12 before falling Saturday 15-6.
The combined offensive performance from both programs cooled down some after 39 total runs were scored in the series opener on Friday and 21 combined on Saturday. The weather conditions appeared much different than the first two contests of the weekend with a lot less wind and a lot more sunshine.
It was a defensive showcase through the first four innings of Sunday’s contest as Wichita State had the only two hits of the game during that span. Freshman Brooks Roberson had himself an outstanding performance in his second start, scattering seven hits across 7 1/3 innings of work with one run and one walk allowed along with four punchouts. His one run allowed did not cross the plate until the eighth inning.
“It was kind of weird with no wind today,” said head coach Lane Burroughs. “There were no elements, you have to battle. It was actually a very beautiful day here today and nobody acted like they wanted to hit. The last two days we had hurricane-type winds blowing everywhere and everybody swinging the bat.
Brooks Roberson was outstanding. I mean, what can you say? We needed that worse than anything in the world and he had to get up here late Friday night, take care of some stuff academically. He flew in here and got in about midnight Friday night. He’s been through a lot this week and to go out there and do what he did was unbelievable.”
Tech returns to the Love Shack on Tuesday, March 18 to take on ULM in a midweek at 6 p.m. CT before heading to Huntsville, Texas to open up Conference USA play with the Sam Houston Bearkats March 21-23 at Don Sanders Stadium.
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Softball
Louisiana Tech softball completed the series sweep over UTEP on Sunday as the Bulldogs won both ends of their double header. LA Tech won the first game 7-6 in nine innings, while earning a 5-2 win over the Miners in the finale.
Tech prevailed in Saturday’s opener 4-3 thanks to a solo home run by Claire Raley in the sixth. The three wins move the Bulldogs to 16-11 (4-2 in CUSA).
Allie Floyd moved to 12-5 on the season after picking up wins in all three games of the series. She pitched 17.0 innings during the series, allowing just three earned runs while striking out 20 and walking just three.
Tech outhomered UTEP on the weekend 5-1, including two bombs by Raley and one each from Nicole Hammoude, Raegan Marchant and Karolyn Glover.
Sunday’s sweep saw Game 1 go nine innings with KB Briley’s sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth proving to be the difference. Floyd worked 5.0 innings of relief, allowing just one run, to get the win in the circle.
Game two of the Sunday DH saw Tech fall behind 2-0 before a single run in the third and a pair of two-run home runs by Hammoude and Glover in the top of the fourth inning giving the Bulldogs the lead.
The Bulldogs have now won five straight games and will return to action this weekend when they host Middle Tennessee in a three-game league series at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
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Bowling
Rachel Ong finished the weekend in second place with a 1,294 for a 215.67 average at the Music City Classic hosted by No. 3 Vanderbilt at the Smyrna Bowling Center on Sunday.
The Bulldogs (83-43) started with their lowest game of the tournament in a 1,031-824 loss to No. 5 Wichita State. Ong ended her second-place performance with a 216.
LA Tech had an up-and-down first match against Newman. The Bulldogs won the first game of the best-of-seven set, 227-209. The Jets took a 2-1 advantage after winning the next two, 201-189 and 201-171. Tech tied it, 208-152, before Newman won game five, 179-171.
Having to win out, Louisiana Tech rolled in the plus in each of the final two. The Bulldogs won 223-182 before clinching the set 207-176.
That set up a critical match against No. 9 Stephen F. Austin. Both teams were looking for a win to help their chances of making the NCAA tournament without having to win the gauntlet of the Conference USA tournament.
The Ladyjacks held the early advantage after taking the opening game 195-157. LA Tech put that game behind them and rolled an 864 over the next four to end the day. The Bulldogs won 233-190, 232-186, 203-194 and 196-169.
During the tournament, head coach Matt Nantais picked up his 900th career win and No. 600 at Louisiana Tech (83-43). The Bulldogs’ 83 wins are the second most in a season, only behind last year’s 88.
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Golf
Oskari Schuvalow and Niilo Maki-Petaja shot 72 and 71, respectively, as Louisiana Tech completed round one of the Linger Longer Invitational on Sunday at The Landing at Reynolds Lake Oconee.
Playing in a field that features five teams ranked top 50 in the country, LA Tech shot 297 (+9) as a team and is in 15th place after 18 holes.
Schuvalow got off to a strong start as a sophomore was two under after eight holes. Following back-to-back bogeys, he sank a birdie on the Par 5 No. 16 to get back into the red. Two more bogeys and a birdie on another Par 5, this one the 490-yard No. 2, led to Schuvalow finishing Even on the day and in a tie for 33rd on the player leaderboard.
Maki-Petaja had a hiccup on No. 9 and No. 10, going bogey-double bogey, but the sophomore regrouped to shoot three under the rest of his round and shoot 71 (-1) which was his 18th round at or under par this season. The top Bulldog is in a tie for 24th.
Morton Bailey had the third scorecard used for LA Tech. After beginning his round with a birdie on his starting hole No. 5, the freshman would not make another birdie until the Par 5 No. 2 to shoot 76 (+4). The fourth score for the ‘Dogs came from Jake Plumb who shot 78 (+6).
37th-ranked Georgia has a one stroke lead over 35th-ranked South Florida and 17th-ranked South Carolina after round one.
