Final Stats

Box Score

NATCHITOCHES, La. - In a game that saw 12 total pitchers, seven hit batsmen and eight extra-base hits, Louisiana Tech prevailed in a 9-7 victory over in-state foe Northwestern State on Wednesday evening at Brown-Stroud Field in Natchitoches.

Louisiana Tech (8-6) has now won eight of its last 10 games, including five straight road wins for the Bulldogs against Northwestern State, who fell to 9-8 on the season. The Demons out-hit LA Tech, 11-7, but six of the Bulldogs' seven hits went for extra bases and produced four runs in the game.

LA Tech sent six pitchers to the mound on Wednesday with junior lefthander Kelby Blalock (1-0) picked up his first win in a Tech uniform after coming on in relief of starter Laetten Galbraith to start the fourth inning. Blalock gave up one hit on one run and struck out two in one inning of work while sophomore Braden Bristo (1) picked up his first career save after allowing one run on one hit in the final two innings of the game.

Northwestern State's Brandon Stane (1-1) was charged with the loss for the Demons after giving up three runs - one earned - on one hit and a walk in 1.2 innings of relief work. The Demons also sent six pitchers to the mound in the contest with righthander Evan Tidwell getting the start against LA Tech.

After being retired in order in the first inning, LA Tech got an early boost when senior Bre'shon Kimbell led off the top of the second by ripping a double off the right field wall. A ground ball to first by Brent Diaz moved Kimbell to third, which set up the Bulldogs to take a 1-0 lead after Taylor Nichols grounded out to shortstop for an RBI.

Northwestern State struck back in the bottom of the third when the Demons had three consecutive singles and a sacrifice fly to quickly erase LA Tech's lead for a 2-1 advantage over the Bulldogs.

The lead did not last long for the Demons after Mason Paxton got the bats going once again in the fourth with a leadoff double to right-center. Taylor Love followed up by slicing a double of his own down the right field line to score Paxton and knot the game at 2-2.

In the top half of the fifth, LA Tech took advantage of a pair of Northwestern State errors to plate three runs - two of which were unearned. Zac Burger drew a walk to lead off the inning, followed by a catcher's interference call which allowed Colby Johnson to reach and give Tech two on with no outs. J.D. Perry successfully put down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners and bring up the top of the order for the Bulldogs. A ground ball by Chandler Hall gave Tech a 3-2 lead, followed by a wild pitch that allowed Johnson to score. But it was Love's second RBI double of the day, this time to left-center, that gave LA Tech a 5-2 lead over the Demons.

NSU responded quickly in the bottom of the fifth when leadoff hitter Joel Atkinson began the inning with his first career home run, a solo shot to left field, to cut Tech's lead to 5-3.

LA Tech once again capitalized on a Northwestern State error in the sixth when pinch hitter Jacob Derouen flew out to right-center with runners on second and third, but all runners advanced after Demon centerfielder Nick Heath dropped the fly ball for NSU's third error of the game. Johnson walked to load the bases, followed by an RBI single by Perry and a sacrifice fly by Hall, which gave Tech an 8-3 lead over the Demons after five and a half innings.

Northwestern State responded in the bottom half of the sixth when the Demons loaded the bases on Tech's Baughman with no outs in the inning. Those three runs eventually came around to score on two RBI singles to left field by David Fry and Atkinson, which cut Tech's lead to 8-6 over Northwestern State.

LA Tech's Johnson showed some power in the eighth when the senior leftfielder led off the frame with a solo home run, his first of the year and third career, to right field to extend the Bulldogs' lead to 9-6 over Northwestern State.

The Demons cuts Tech's lead to two runs in the bottom of the eighth when Atkinson recorded his fourth hit of the game, a leadoff double to left, and eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Cort Brinson to make it a 9-7 advantage for the Bulldogs.

With the Bulldogs trying to close out a 9-7 victory in the ninth, Northwestern State did not go away quietly as the Demons drew back-to-back walks to lead off the final frame. Bristo got himself out of the jam temporarily with a pickoff move to second to get the lead runner out for the first out of the inning. Love then came through by saving a single up the middle with a diving stop and flip to Hall at second base for the second out. Bristo forced NSU's nine-hole hitter to fly out to center to clinch the victory on the road.

LA Tech totaled seven hits against the Demons, six of which were extra-base hits with five doubles and a home run. Love led the Bulldogs at the plate with two doubles and two RBI in a 2-for-5 effort, while Hall also recorded two RBI in the win. Paxton, Kimbell, Nichols all doubled in the game, while Johnson added a home run and Perry had an RBI single.

NSU's Atkinson had a career day at the plate for the Demons with four hits in five at bats, including three runs and three RBI for the shortstop. Nick Heath and C.J. Webster each had two hits apiece, while Northwestern State totaled 11 base knocks as a team.

The Bulldogs continue their five-game road stretch by traveling to Houston to face No. 10 Rice at 6:30 p.m. on Friday in the Conference USA opener at Reckling Park.

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