Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Jacksonville State 4, Bulldog Baseball 0 (Friday)
Jacksonville State 5, Bulldogs 3 (Saturday)
Jacksonville State 7, Bulldogs 4 (Sunday)
The Diamond ‘Dogs (15-14, 4-5 CUSA) fell on the wrong side of a series sweep, dropping Sunday’s finale to Jacksonville State (24-5, 9-0 CUSA), 7-4, at JC Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
Tech dropped Friday’s game 4-0 and then fell Saturday 5-3.
This marks the first time the ‘Dogs have been swept at home in a CUSA series since 2019 to Southern Miss in the conference-opening weekend.
“Obviously, it’s disappointing to lose and to get swept at home,” said head coach Lane Burroughs. “We’ve been swept before-that’s not the issue. The issue is how we’re playing, and finding different ways to lose. It’s not due to effort or ability, and we have to figure it out.”
A 6-3 twin killing turned by Colton Coates and a looking strikeout is how the afternoon started defensively for the Bulldogs. In Tech’s first turn to bat, Coates led off with a base hit on the first pitch of the game but was thrown out on a 9-4-3 putout after overrunning first base.
Trey Hawsey was hit by a pitch and Colby Lunsford drew a walk to give Tech a runner in scoring position, but a fielder’s choice and a swinging strikeout ended the inning.
The ‘Dogs built up a 3-0 lead in the second with no outs on five-straight Tech batters reaching base safely. Wesly Scott and Reid Snider led off with back-to-back singles before a 3-2 walk drawn by McCann Libby loaded the bases.
Casey McCoy picked up the third single of the frame driving a pitch just over 100 miles per hour through the middle of the infield, scoring Scott and Snider. Coates’ second base hit of the game was cashed in to score Libby, followed with a Colby Lunsford single to load the bases again with one out.
Eli Berch capped off the frame with a sacrifice fly to the JSU center fielder, giving the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead heading into the third.
Landon Fontenot dealt four innings of no-hit baseball in his outing, allowing just four walks and two HBPs while picking up the backwards K to end the first.
The Gamecocks etched across their first run of the day in the fifth, with the leadoff batter reaching second on an error and a sacrifice bunt before coming around to score on an RBI base hit. A solo homer the next at-bat cut Tech’s lead to two, but an infield pop-up to Hawsey ended the frame.
A pair of errors and two hits allowed Jax State to score three runs in the seventh, giving them a 5-4 lead before a one-out two-RBI in the eighth pushed the Gamecocks’ lead out to three runs.
“It’s not an ability thing or that any of the guys aren’t playing hard,” said Burroughs. “I just don’t think they’re playing to win-it seems more of a mental thing right now. I’m not a psychiatrist, but I have to get to the bottom of it because I am the head coach of this baseball team.”
The ‘Dogs only managed one hit after the four-run second-a lead-off single in the eighth before being put out on a double play to end the inning. Tech also drew a walk and put a runner in scoring position with one out in the fourth, but a strikeout and a groundout left him stranded.
The Bulldogs close out their four-game homestand when they play host to ULM on Tuesday, March 31 at the Love Shack. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. CT.
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Bulldog Softball 9, Missouri State 5 (Friday)
Bulldogs 2, Missouri State 0 (Saturday)
Missouri State 3,Bulldogs 0 (Sunday)
Louisiana Tech softball was shutout on Sunday in a 3-0 loss to Missouri State at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field. The Bulldogs move to 19-16 (5-7 Conference USA) with the loss.
Tech won the series 2-1 after winning 9-5 on Friday and 2-0 on Saturday.
However, on Sunday, the Bulldogs left 11 runners on base — including two in each of the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings — as they were outhit 5-4 by the Bears. Gracie Flores and Elena Heng recorded doubles for LA Tech, while Allie Furr and Reese Torres singled.
“I thought [Bryannah] Campos came in and did a really great job,” said head coach Josh Taylor. “She kept them off balance. I thought Laney [Johnson] came in and did a really good job. Five hits and three runs at home, you should certainly be able to win that game and we were not able to.”
Allie Floyd (8-9) took the loss after allowing two runs on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts over 3.0 innings. Bryannah Campos worked 3.0 scoreless frames as she retired nine batters straight. Laney Johnson pitched the seventh and allowed one run on two hits.
MSU took an early 1-0 lead after a one-out walk and a stolen base put a runner in scoring position, who later scored on a double.
The Bears added a run in the top of the fourth as back-to-back singles and a throwing error placed two in scoring position with no outs. After a pitching change, MSU utilized a sacrifice fly as Campos retired the first batter she faced.
LA Tech threatened in the bottom of the sixth as Aleah Brooks drew a lead off walk followed by a pinch-hit double from Gracie Flores that placed runners on second and third with no outs. MSU took advantage of a shallow fly out, a groundout and strikeout to end the scoring threat.
MSU made it 3-0 in the top of the seventh after a lead off walk and a bunt single placed two on. A sac bunt moved both runners up 60 feet while a third bunt would score the runner from third.
The Bulldogs went down in order in the bottom of the seventh on a groundout, strikeout and fly out to end the game.
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Texas Southern 15, Grambling Baseball 8
Grambling 9, Texas Southern 5
Texas Southern 12, Grambling 1
Grambling State struck first on Sunday afternoon, but Texas Southern used a series of big innings to pull away as the Tigers fell 12-1 at MacGregor Park.
Grambling State (9-17 overall, 6-3 SWAC) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, taking advantage of its only sustained offensive push of the day. After Aidan Lopez drew a leadoff walk, Shannon Martin ripped a double down the left-field line to put two runners in scoring position. Chris Marcellus followed with an RBI single to left, scoring Lopez for the early advantage.
However, that would be all Grambling State could generate against Texas Southern starter Justin Mays, who delivered a dominant outing. Mays (3-1) threw 8.0 innings, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out 12 and issuing three walks.
Texas Southern (12-11, 7-2) responded in the bottom of the fourth, capitalizing on a pair of home runs during a four-run frame. After a leadoff single by Byron Robinson, Evan Joubert connected for a two-run homer to give TSU a 2-1 lead. Later in the inning, an error extended the frame before Anthony Ruiz added a two-run home run of his own to make it 4-1.
TSU broke the game open with another four-run inning in the sixth, taking advantage of four walks and two hits. Nate Lopez drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in the first run of the inning, and RBI contributions from Christopher Chavez, Jonathan Trejo and Robinson pushed the lead to 8-1.
Texas Southern added four more runs in the eighth, punctuated by Robinson’s second home run of the afternoon — a three-run shot to left.
Grambling State was held to two hits: Martin’s second-inning double and Marcellus’ RBI single. The Tigers also drew three walks but struck out 12 times.
On the mound, starter Shaun Mante (1-1) worked 4.0 innings, allowing four runs on four hits with three strikeouts. The bullpen combined for the remaining frames, with Mohamed Harati, Trenton Shaw, Hampton Phillips and Jacobie Smith all seeing action.
Texas Southern finished with nine hits, including home runs from Robinson, Joubert and Ruiz. Robinson drove in four runs and scored twice, while Trejo added two hits and two RBI.
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UAPB 9, Grambling Softball 4 (Friday)
Grambling 17, UAPB 12 (Saturday – Game 1)
Grambling 6, UAPB 3 (Saturday – Game 2)
The Grambling State Tigers softball team swept a Southwestern Athletic Conference doubleheader over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday at the GSU Softball Complex.
The Tigers powered to a 17–12 victory in game one before securing the sweep with a 6–3 win in game two.
In the opener Grambling State exploded offensively, racking up 17 runs on 16 hits in a back-and-forth contest.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff struck first with two runs in the opening inning, but the Tigers quickly responded.
Kamryn Broussard sparked the rally with a two-RBI triple before Z’Natria Evans followed with an RBI single to give Grambling State a 3–2 lead.
The Tigers continued to build momentum in the second inning, plating four runs behind RBI singles from Cadashia Collins and Evans.
Grambling State added three more runs in the third inning highlighted by a two-RBI single from Ziya Donaldson to extend the lead to 10–4.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff answered with a five-run fourth inning to close the gap, but Grambling State responded immediately.
The Tigers erupted for five runs in the bottom half of the inning with Ashunte Specks delivering an RBI double and Donaldson adding another two-RBI single.
The Golden Lions cut into the lead with a three-run home run in the fifth inning, but the Tigers sealed the game in the sixth when Tavia Leadon drove in two runs with a single to make it 17–12.
Specks led the Tigers at the plate, going 3-for-5 with four runs scored and two RBIs. Evans added three hits and three RBIs, while Donaldson drove in four runs.
Erin Gibbs earned the win in the circle while Jaidan Richard provided relief.
In game two, Grambling State used a late surge to complete the sweep.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff jumped out to an early 2–0 lead in the first inning on a two-run home run.
Tavia Leadon put Grambling State on the board in the second inning with an RBI single, and Kamille Carter added another RBI single in the fourth to make it 3–2.
The Tigers evened the score in the fifth inning when Logan-Ray Gaspar delivered an RBI single.
Grambling State took control in the sixth inning, capitalizing on an error to take the lead before Ziya Donaldson delivered a clutch two-RBI single to extend the advantage to 6–3.
Donaldson paced the offense in game two with a perfect 4-for-4 performance and two RBIs. Gaspar and Leadon each added an RBI in the win.
Hailei Harrell tossed a complete game in the circle allowing three runs while earning the victory.
