Final Stats

STARKVILLE, Miss. (June 4, 2016) ââ'¬" Cody Daigle's two-out grand slam capped a six-run fourth inning and helped Louisiana Tech overcame an early deficit in a 9-4 win over Southeast Missouri State in an elimination game of the Starkville Regional at Dudy Noble Field Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, Tech (41-19) will play at 1:30 p.m. Sunday against the loser of tonight's game between Mississippi State and Cal State Fullerton.

It marked the first regional win by Louisiana Tech since a 5-2 victory over Southern in the 1987 New Orleans Regional.

Less than three hours after falling 1-0 to Cal State Fullerton in a game that started Friday night and was completed Saturday morning due to rain, Tech found itself trailing early.

Known for its offensive production, Southeast Missouri lived up to its reputation in the top of the first after cleanup hitter Dan Holst jacked a three-run home run for a 3-0 lead over the Bulldogs after just half an inning of play.

LA Tech answered in the bottom half of the inning after a two-out walk and error led to Cody Daigle's RBI single up the middle to cut SEMO's lead to 3-1 heading to the second inning.

The Bulldogs made it a one-run ball game in the third when Jonathan Washam doubled down the right field line before coming home to score on Chase Lunceford's RBI single to right field, which cut SEMO's lead to 3-2 after three innings.

In the fourth, Louisiana Tech relied on the long ball from the start after Brent Diaz led off the half inning with a solo home run crushed to left field to tie the game, 3-3. A double by Chandler Hall and single by J.D. Perry set up Bryce Stark to drive in the go-ahead run on an RBI bunt single down the first base line to give LA Tech a 4-3 advantage over SEMO.

The big blow came later in the inning when Daigle came to the plate with the bases juiced and two outs and left the yard for a grand slam to extend LA Tech's lead to 8-3 over the Redhawks.

Chandler Hall joined the party in the fifth inning when he ripped a solo home run to left field to make it a six-run lead over Southeast Missouri after five complete innings.

The score remained 9-3 until the top of the eighth inning when SEMO loaded the bases with just one out on three consecutive singles by the bottom third of the order.

Tech starter Casey Sutton (8-1), who picked up the win tossing 7.1 innings while allowing four runs on 10 hits and four walks while striking out four, was pulled after throwing 122 pitches in the gutsy performance.

Junior Casey Sullivan came on in relief and after walking the first batter to force in a run and cut the lead to 9-4, Sullivan struck out Redhawk power hitter Chris Osborne looking and then induced a ground ball out from Garrett Grandolfo.

Sullivan then struck out the side in the top of the ninth sealing the win.

Daigle led a 12-hit attack with a 3-for-4 performance with a career-high five RBI while both Hall and JD Perry each registered two hits.

To purchase tickets online for the Starkville, Mississippi Regional, visit www.HailState.com/tickets or call 662-325-2600 for more information. General admission tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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