Boxscore

MONROE, La. ? A ninth inning full of excitement and with a controversial call took Louisiana Tech to a 4-3 win at UL-Monroe to close the regular season Friday night.

With a runner on first and one out, a long fly ball was called just foul by the home plate umpire, which kept ULM from tying the game. On the next pitch after an argument at the plate, Tech reliever Andrew Lassere picked off the base runner to give the Warhawks two outs. Lassere then struck out the batter to end the game for the win.

?All four games against ULM were good games,? Tech coach Wade Simoneaux said. ?This is a good rivalry and this is what it?s all about when we play each other. It was a good clean game with some controversial calls by the umpires, but we respect ULM, and we think they respect us. It was a good game.?

The Bulldogs jumped on top of the Warhawks 3-0 in the third inning after some help from two unlikely heroes. Patrick Thomas hit a two-run home run, his third of the season, and Drew Bunting followed two batters later with a solo shot for his first homer of the season.

The Warhawks chipped away at the lead with single runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings to tie the ballgame. Kyle Suire hit a solo homer in the fifth that could have tied the game, but Tech catcher Matt Combs was able to catch a runner stealing to keep the damage to a minimum.

ULM threatened to take the lead in the seventh inning when Suire tried to score from first on a double down the left-field line. Thomas wheeled quickly to throw the ball to relay man Dennis Winn, and with an accurate throw to the plate Winn gunned down Suire for the second out of the inning. Pitcher Ryan Rupert struck out the next batter looking to end the threat and preserve the 3-3 tie.

Tech reclaimed the lead in the eighth inning when an error on a fly ball by left fielder Dexter Fontenot allowed Brian Rike to score. Later in the inning, ULM coach Jeff Schexnaider was ejected after arguing with the home plate umpire on a hit by pitch call that allowed Jericho Jones to take first base. One run was all Tech could bring across home plate, however, and Tech led 4-3.

The game had no sway for either team for their standing in each team?s respective conference tournament, but it did give Tech a boost heading into the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

?This was a momentum game,? Simoneaux said. ?We didn?t want to head into Reno on a four-game losing skid. I think we pitched extremely well, and Andrew Lassere did a great job to close it for us.?

The Bulldogs play at 5 p.m. CST Thursday in the first round of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in Reno, Nev. Tech will await results of conference games this weekend at Hawaii and San Jose State to determine Tech?s opponent as the No. 4 seed.