RUSTON – The McNeese baseball team scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to take its first lead of the game but was unable to hold off a Louisiana Tech rally as the Bulldogs countered with three runs in the bottom of the frame that led to a 9-7 win over the Cowboys Tuesday night at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park in Ruston.
The Pokes (23-15) entered the seventh trailing Louisiana Tech (24-13) by three runs until freshman
Austin Nelson led off the frame with a double. The extra-base hit was accompanied by a pair of RBI-doubles from juniors
Will Fox and
Ricky Ramirez as well as freshman
Shane Selman's sacrifice fly that helped tie the contest.
The game changer occurred a play later as Ramirez's decision to steal home seemed to be foiled by a rundown from the La Tech defense. It was the quick skills and determination that was able to help Ramirez get by the infielder and scrape across the plate for the go-ahead run.
Despite the uprising from the Cowboys, Louisiana Tech did not go down without a fight and instead took advantage of a one-out, bases-loaded situation with three hits, two walks and a throwing error to climb back out to a 9-7 lead over the Pokes.
The Bulldogs would go on to strike out the next six batters across the final two innings an avenge its loss to McNeese earlier in the season.
Freshman reliever
Zach Rider (0-1) took the loss following 1.2 innings of work, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits, while striking out two and walking two.
The Cowboys tallied eight hits on the night and were led by
Connor Crane and
Will Fox's two hits apiece. Crane approved his multiple-hit efforts to 15 on the year, which leads the team while Fox became just the fifth Cowboys this season to record seven or more multi-hit efforts. Ramirez had another outstanding night after having hit once, scored a run and drove in a game-high two runs. In all, six total McNeese batters collected a hit in the game.
After taking a one run lead in the second frame, McNeese found itself in an early deficit as Louisiana Tech scored two runs apiece in the second and third innings to take a 4-1 lead over the Cowboys.
The Pokes scratched their way back in the middle frames as Crane led off the fourth inning with a triple and then scored on wild pitch while Ramirez's ground out in the fifth drove in a run to cut the Bulldog lead to a 4-3 score.
La Tech stretched its lead back out to three runs following a pair of runs scored in the bottom of the fifth frame.
The Bulldogs stranded 11 batters and committed one error in the contest while the Cowboys left only three aboard and committed a season-high four errors.
McNeese returns to action over the weekend as the Pokes travel to Thibodaux for a three-game Southland Conference series against Nicholls. First pitch for Friday's game is set for 6 p.m.
Louisiana Tech 9, McNeese 7 (Apr 26, 2016 at Ruston, La.)
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McNeese............. 010 110 400 - 7 8 4 (23-15)
Louisiana Tech...... 022 020 30X - 9 13 1 (24-13)
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Pitchers: McNeese - Sanders, Austin; Rider, Zach(5); Fontenot, Trent(7); Briggs, Austin(8) and
Duhon, Dustin. Louisiana Tech - Braden Bristo; Casey Sullivan(5); Nate Harris(7); Adam Atkins(7)
and Colby Hamilton; Michael Deceglie; Brent Diaz.
Win-Adam Atkins(4-0) Loss-Rider, Zach(0-1) T-3:05 A-726
Weather: 85, Sunny; Wind: SSE, 9 mph
Bristo faced 2 batters in the 5th.
Sullivan faced 1 batter in the 7th.
