Final Stats

Box Score: FIU 1, LA Tech 0

RUSTON, La. - Despite impressive performances on the mound by both Louisiana Tech and FIU, the Bulldog hitters struggled to get the bats going against FIU as the Panthers shut out LA Tech, 1-0, in the low-scoring series opener Friday night at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.

With the loss, LA Tech dropped to 18-12 overall and 6-7 in Conference USA play, while FIU improved to 17-19 on the season with a 5-8 mark in league games. FIU leads the series, 1-0, with game two of the series set for 3 p.m. Saturday in Ruston.

The only run of the game came on an RBI single by FIU catcher Zack Soria in the fifth, but LA Tech had several chances to tie the game as the Bulldogs stranded eight runners on the base paths.

Both FIU starters Cody Crouse and LA Tech's Phillip Diehl were each putting up zeros on the scoreboard through four innings before the Panthers struck first in the fifth. Crouse earned the win after pitching 8.1 innings of shutout baseball before Williams Durruthy came in to close it out and earn his third save of the season.

Diehl struck out five batters in six innings before coming out with a runner on and no outs in the top of the seventh. The lefty allowed just one run on seven hits before Nate Harris came on in relief and held FIU scoreless on one hit and four strikeouts the rest of the way. Diehl (2-4) was charged with the loss for the Bulldogs despite keeping the game within reach after pitching out of back-to-back bases-loaded jams in the fourth and fifth.

LA Tech had its best chance to take the lead in the first inning when the Bulldogs had runners on first and third with one out after back-to-back singles by Jordan and Jonathan Washam, but both runners were left stranded after a pop up and ground out.

In the seventh, LA Tech once again had a runner in scoring position after Taylor Love led off the bottom of the inning with an infield single before advancing to second on a failed pickoff attempt, but the Bulldogs came up empty after a fly ball to center and ground out ended the threat.

The Bulldogs left two more stranded in the ninth after Cody Daigle and Love drew one-out walks, but LA Tech once again could not cross the plate as the game ended on two fly balls.

Jordan Washam was 2-for-4 at the plate, while Bryce Stark went 1-for-3 with a walk on the night. Taylor Love was also 1-for-3 with a walk and Jonathan Washam singled in the first as the Bulldogs totaled five hits in the loss.

FIU was led by Soria who was 2-for-4 with the only RBI of the game, while Rey Perez also totaled two hits for the Panthers. FIU had eight hits altogether and stranded nine base runners.

The three-game Conference USA series between LA Tech and FIU resumes at 3 p.m. Saturday at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park in Ruston.

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