Final Stats

Box Score

RUSTON, La. - For the first time in almost two years to the date, Louisiana Tech closed out a weekend with a 2-1 series victory over a conference opponent as the Bulldogs defeated UTSA, 3-1, Sunday afternoon at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.

Tyler Clancy threw five shutout innings, while the Bulldogs scored a run in the third, fourth and eighth innings to clinch their first series win since defeating Dallas Baptist two out of three on the road in 2013. LA Tech (23-22, 7-16 C-USA) has now won four of its last five games heading into the final two weeks of the season.

"Today was a great team win for our guys and I am so happy for our players," head coach Greg Goff said. "Our guys have been fighting and competing, so for us to have the opportunity to win a series this weekend, I think it was the best team effort we have had all season."

After five innings of play in Sunday's rubber match, LA Tech was protecting a 2-0 lead over UTSA, but the Roadrunners began to make some noise with the bats in the sixth. Back-to-back singles to start the top half of the sixth forced Tech to go to its bullpen and bring in right-hander Braden Bristo in relief of Clancy with two runners on base and no outs. After Bristo issued a walk to load the bases, the sophomore settled in and struck out three straight UTSA batters to leave three runners stranded and preserve the two-run lead for the Bulldogs.

Clancy (6-4) earned the win on the mound after not allowing a run in five full innings, while the left-hander struck out five and walked just one in the outing. Bristo pitched 2.1 innings in relief and gave up one run on three hits, walked two and struck out three. Adam Atkins came on in the eighth and earned his sixth save of the season after holding UTSA scoreless on two hits in the final inning and a third.

UTSA starter Patrick Herbelin (2-3) was charged with the loss for the Roadrunners after allowing one run on three hits, while striking out three in 2.2 innings of work.

UTSA (28-20, 13-11 C-USA) made things interesting in the top of the eighth when third baseman Geonte Jackson led off the inning with a single, then eventually came around to score on an RBI single by Logan Kinder off reliever Adam Atkins to cut LA Tech's lead to 2-1 with just an inning and a half left to play.

The Bulldogs responded, though, as Goff sent pinch hitter Zac Burger to the plate with one out and the junior crushed a 2-0 pitch high in the pine trees in right field for a solo home run to give Tech a 3-1 lead heading into the ninth. UTSA led off the top of the ninth with a single, but Atkins forced two fly balls and a ground ball to end the threat and clinch the victory for LA Tech.

Tech's first two runs came in back-to-back innings, beginning in the third after a single by Taylor Love, followed by a wild pitch and stolen base resulted in a run for the Bulldogs thanks to an RBI ground ball by Taylor Nichols. In the fourth, Jacob Derouen drew a lead-off walk, took second on a sacrifice bunt by Chandler Hall, then reached third on a bunt single down the third base line by Thomas Simoneaux. Bryce Stark followed up with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Derouen and give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead after four innings of action.

Burger, Nichols and Stark each drove in a run for the Bulldogs, while Colby Johnson and Simoneaux each had two hits apiece to help lead LA Tech to a Sunday victory over the Roadrunners. Derouen, Burger and Love each totaled one hit for a total of seven LA Tech base knocks in the contest.

As for UTSA, the Roadrunners stranded 13 baserunners in the game, eight of which came after the fifth inning. Despite LA Tech getting the win, UTSA out-hit the Bulldogs, 10-7, as both Jesse Baker and Kevin Markham each record multiple hits on the afternoon.

LA Tech returns to the diamond at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, May 8 as the Bulldogs hop on a plane to Norfolk, Virginia to take on Conference USA foe Old Dominion in a three-game road series.

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