Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Baseball
The Diamond ‘Dogs (20-12, 6-2 CUSA) secured the series victory over the FIU Panthers (20-12, 4-4 CUSA) on Sunday with a 13-5 win in a resumed game that was postponed on Saturday. LA Tech belted four homers on the day, including a massive grand slam off the bat of Sebastian Mexico in a six-run eighth inning.
Tech won Friday’s opener 5-3 on a walk-off home run by Mexico with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
The series win over FIU was the fourth-straight weekend series win for the ‘Dogs and the third-straight series win over a Conference USA opponent. Game 3 was not played due to CUSA’s rules pertaining to teams that travel by air based off the time that Game 2 was completed, with both teams agreeing to not begin the series finale.
“I’m just extremely proud of our team,” said head coach Lane Burroughs. “What a weekend-a lot of rain, a lot of delays and this weekend felt like it lasted a week in itself. I’m just extremely proud of our guys. We stressed to them before we let them leave the facility yesterday-there needs to be a sense of urgency because there’s a chance we may not play a third game, so we have to come out and get after it early. We’re down 1-0, and our hitters answered the bell.”
With Mexico’s grand slam, he marked three-straight games with a homer and is the first Bulldog since Dalton Davis belted one in back-to-back-to-back games during the 2024 season. Mexico’s six RBI on the day are also the most since Eli Berch drove in seven against Wichita State on March 14.
Mexico is the second Bulldog to hit a grand slam this season, with Cade Patterson having hit one against Memphis on March 1.
Michael Ballard picked up his third four-RBI game of the season and ninth multi-hit game while extending his hitting streak to a team-leading 10 games. He is five games shy of tying Colton Coates’ longest streak of the season at 15-straight games with a hit.
When the second game of the weekend series initially started on Saturday, FIU jumped ahead to a 1-0 lead in the first after belting a solo homer to center field. The ‘Dogs were retired in order in the home half before the game was halted due to lightning in the area before ultimately being postponed until Sunday morning.
Once play was resumed in the second inning, Luke Nichols started the day on the mound and retired the side in order on three groundouts. On a 2-2 count with one out in the bottom of the second, Zeb Ruddell ripped a solo shot over the right field wall to tie the game with his fourth homer of the year.
FIU led off the third with a double before a one-out knock put the Panthers back out front with a 2-1 lead. Following a hit-by-pitch and a throwing error, a two-run base hit up the middle increase FIU’s lead to 4-1. The Bulldogs answered with a one-out base hit by Coates followed with a walk drawn by Zeb Ruddell, bringing Ballard to the plate and blasting his team-high sixth homer of the season for three runs to bring the score back to an even 4-4.
After the Panthers led off the fourth with a base hit, Brooks Roberson entered the game and retired the next three batters to hold the FIU runner at scoring position and maintain the tie with the ‘Dogs back up to bat. Trey Hawsey led off with a base hit up the middle on the first pitch of the frame before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt dropped by Will Safford. Colton Coates then drew a walk on a 3-2 count before Ballard and Mexico delivered a pair of two-out RBI knocks to take a 6-4 lead.
The fifth inning was quiet for both sides, with Roberson recording three strikeouts in the top half before Tech was retired in order despite a pitching change made by the Panthers. In the sixth inning, Safford walked before advancing to third on a base hit from Garrison Berkley before Ballard loaded the bases with a one-out walk. Mexico then added to the lead with a sacrifice fly to send the ‘Dogs into the seventh with a 7-4 advantage.
FIU put a run on the board in the eighth with a solo shot to cut it to a 7-5 lead for Tech, but the Bulldogs answered back in a big way in the home half. Coates started the inning with a base hit before an attempted sacrifice bunt by Berkley became a single as a he beat the throw out to first. Ballard drew his second walk of the day, bringing up Mexico with a chance to put the game out of reach.
On a 2-2 count, Mexico pulled a tape-measure shot just over 370 feet for his fourth homer of the year and his first grand slam as a Diamond ‘Dog, putting the ‘Dogs ahead by six before Eli Berch sent a ball to dead center over 420 feet over the batter’s eye to give the ‘Dogs a comfortable 12-5 lead. The six-run frame was capped off with a triple down the right field line by Safford to score Grant Comeaux, who reached base on a throwing error after entering the game in a defensive substitution at the top of the inning.
After Blake Hooks had entered the game to get the final out of the eighth on two pitches, he retired the side in order in the ninth to give Tech it’s 20th win of the season and clinch the series.
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Softball
Claire Raley hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh in game two of Sunday’s doubleheader to give Louisiana Tech softball a Conference USA series win over Jacksonville State. The Bulldogs won game two 1-0 on Raley’s walk-off hit to complete the series win after falling 9-6 to the Gamecocks in the first game on Sunday.
Tech won Friday’s opener 4-2, scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth to record the come-from-behind victory.
Allie Floyd (17-6) tossed a two-hit shutout in Sunday’s win to move the Bulldogs to 23-15 (10-5 CUSA). The win gives LA Tech sole possession of second place in the CUSA standings behind Liberty.
Floyd’s complete win in the circle marked her 17th win of the season and her first shutout of the year. It was her 11th complete game after she tossed 7.0 innings, while allowing just two hits and two walks to pair with six strikeouts. She carried a no hitter into the top of the sixth inning before allowing a leadoff infield single.
In the first game of the day, Tech led 5-3 through three innings after a two-out, two-run double by Addison Snyder in the bottom of the third inning.
The Gamecocks took the lead for good in the top of the fourth after plating three runs on four hits and one error. Jax State used a single and a double to score its first run of the frame. The inning continued after a fielding error that would have ended the top half, which allowed a two-out single that plated two more Gamecock runs making it 6-5.
Both teams scored in the seventh as Jax State added three to its total, while LA Tech could only scrape across one run as Furr scored on a throwing error after reaching on a fielding error.
The Bulldogs were outhit 14-9 and left six runners on base.
In the nightcap, Floyd and Kat Carter battled it out in the circle. It was Floyd who earned the win after Raley’s timely two-out single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Carter allowed one run on six hits with four strikeouts while walking six.
Marchant had the games only extra base hit as she doubled in the bottom of the third. Marchant’s double in the third put two on for Hammoude as Heng led off the frame with a single. Hammoude drew a free pass, but Raley was unable to plate any runs after a fielder’s choice and a 5-2 putout from the Jax State defense. A Gilio strikeout would strand three runners on base, as the Bulldogs left eight aboard throughout the game.
Still scoreless through six 1/2, head coach Josh Taylor went to his bench and had Kaylee Grealy pinch hit to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Grealy did her job and singled up the middle and was pinch ran for by Jina Baffuto.
After a foul out, Furr singled up the middle which allowed Baffuto to advance to second. Marchant drew a walk to load the bases, followed by a second foul out of the inning from Hammoude. With two outs and three on, Raley delivered a single to third base that allowed Baffuto to score, giving LA Tech a 1-0 walk-off win over the Gamecocks.
