RUSTON, La. -- The Louisiana Tech baseball is off the best start in school history with a doubleheader split with Texas-San Antonio on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs (6-1) won game one on a ninth inning home run by Craig Montgomery to win 9-8 but UTSA (2-6) prevailed in game two by a 6-4 score.
The Bulldogs' win in game one gave Tech the best start in school history with a 6-0 start. Tech had to battle back from an early deficit as UTSA took a 5-2 lead and led 8-3 entering the bottom of the sixth.
The Bulldogs scored four, two out runs in the sixth to start the comeback.
Bryan Beck singled home one run before Eric Gashel blasted a three-run home run to right center to cap the four run inning
Tech got closer in the seventh when John Brandon triple to left center and a wild throw by Roadrunner shortstop Jeremy James went into the Tech dugout and allowed Brandon to score, making the game 8-8.
Montgomery blasted a one out home run in the ninth to win the game for the Bulldogs.
Adam Kirkendall (1-0) picked up his first win of the year after pitching four and two-thirds inning in relief of Casey Blalock. Kirekendall allowed no runs and struck out five in his outing.
Klae Boehme (1-1) got the loss for the Roadrunners.
In game two, a three-run home run by Mark Scramek with two outs in the seventh inning gave UTSA the win. Game two only went seven innings.
Tech scored a run in the bottom of the seventh and had runners on first and third before Nick Cauley grounded out to end the game.
Tech turned an early 2-0 deficit into a 4-3 lead with two runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
A bases loaded single to right field by Bo Grimes tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning.
A triple by UTSA's Dustin Perez gave the Roadrunners the lead back at 3-2 in the top of the fifth but that would not last long.
Cullen Simmons belted a two-run home run to give the Bulldogs the lead at 4-3. It was Simmons second home run of the day.
That ended the scoring until the seventh when UTSA put two runners on with one out off of Marcus Clapp before Bulldog closer Matt Buckle entered the game.
Buckle got one out before surrendering the three-run home run to Schramek.
Gashel got a RBI single in the bottom of the seventh but Tech could not rally again falling 6-5.
Derek Brewster started game two for Tech and allowed three earned runs in five innings.
UTSA reliever Elwood McGinnis earned the win (1-0).
The deciding game of the series will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
