LA Tech tops Old Dominion
NORFOLK, Va. - LA Tech (23-13, 6-9 C-USA) used three ninth-inning bombs to grab a 7-3 victory in the series finale against Old Dominion (26-11, 10-5 C-USA) on Sunday in Norfolk.
The Diamond Dogs handed Old Dominion their first series loss of the year, while the Bulldogs went on the road and won a road series for the second consecutive weekend.
LA Tech was powered by ninth inning home runs from Jordan Washam, Marshall Boggs and Chase Lunceford. Jonathan Washam and Lunceford each picked up three hits in the win. Boggs and Lunceford both registered three RBI in the win.
Nate Harris made his third start of his career and picked up a quality start for the third time. Harris tossed 7.2 innings, giving up three runs and striking out five.
Louisiana Tech got the scoring started in the top of the fourth inning when Raphael Gladu opened the inning with a walk. After Gladu stole second, Lunceford singled off of the top of the wall in right field to score Gladu and give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.
The Monarchs didn’t take long to strike back however, using a sacrifice fly from Shaun Wood in the bottom of the fifth to tie things back up at 1-1.
The Diamond ‘Dogs would get that run back through in the next half inning as Gladu singled to start the bottom of the fifth and Brent Diaz immediately followed with a double down the left field line. An RBIground out from Boggs allowed LA Tech to retake a 2-1 lead.
Diaz opened the top of the eighth inning with a walk and after a sacrifice bunt, Lunceford gave LA Tech some insurance with an RBI-single making it 3-1. That insurance would prove to be very useful.
In the bottom of the
eighth, ODU used three consecutive hits and missed a go-ahead home run by inches, to tie the game at 3-3. The Monarchs still had the go-ahead run on third with two outs, but Graham Ahlrich came on and got the final out of the inning.
With all of the momentum in the third base dugout, Jordan Washam quickly silenced the ODU crowd with a go-ahead solo home run to right center. The Bulldogs weren’t done though and after Diaz was hit by a pitch, Marshall Boggs clobbered a two-out, tworun home run to left field. Louisiana Tech had a 6-3 lead.
For the second time this season, Louisiana Tech launched three home runs in an inning, as Chase Lunceford teed off on the next pitch launching a moonshot into the Norfolk sky. The solo shot extended the LA Tech lead to 7-3.
Ahlrich slammed the door in the ninth and earned his fourth win of the season.