Box Score May 4, 2018 Box Score
RUSTON, La. - The Louisiana Tech baseball team fell, 6-4, to Middle Tennessee in game one of a three-game weekend set, Friday evening at J.C. Love Field.
LA Tech (31-16, 15-7 C-USA) saw a three-run home run from freshman DH Steele Netterville in the bottom of the sixth, which cut the Middle Tennessee (23-22-1, 8-13-1 C-USA) lead to one, at 4-3, but the rest of the Tech bats fell quiet, striking out a combined 11 times in the defeat.
Middle Tennessee starter Jake Wyrick (3-3) was effective in cooling the previously hot Tech bats. The left-hander went 5.2 innings, striking out six and allowing four hits. Wyrick exited after allowing the Netterville blast in the sixth, but the Blue Raider bullpen held the lead, providing the starter with his third win of the season.
Tech starter Matt Miller (4-4) made it through four innings, allowing four runs (all earned) on five hits. Mille struck out five and walked three. The right-hander made it through the first two innings relatively unscathed, before the Blue Raiders put up a four spot in the third. A sac fly to right from LA Woodard provided the game's first run, before Aaron Aucker belted a three-run blast to left field, giving the Blue Raiders a 4-0 lead.
Tech finally got to Wyrick in the sixth as Parker Bates and Mason Robinson both walked. Then with two outs, Steele Netterville smacked his third home run of the season - a no-doubt three-run blast to left center, cutting the Middle Tennessee lead to 4-3.
However, in the top of the seventh, the Blue Raiders got two runs back off Tech reliever Quinton Logan. Logan, who pitched clean fifth and sixth innings, gave up a two-run double to right centerfield from Ryan Kemp, increasing the Blue Raiders' lead to 6-3.
Logan went 2.1 innings allowing just the two runs (both earned), while striking out three and walking two.
Right-hander Braxton Smith entered for Logan in the seventh, seeing his first action since Tech played at Marshall back on April 22. Smith pitched well while keeping Tech within striking distance - striking out a season-best five batters. He did not walk a batter and gave up a pair of singles.
Tech made things interesting in the ninth, as Mason Mallard doubled down the right-field line, scoring Hunter Wells, cutting the deficit to two. With Parker Bates representing the go-ahead run at the plate, Middle Tennessee closer, Drew Huff, got the left-hander swinging, ending the game and picking up his team-high fifth save of 2018.
The Bulldogs and Blue Raiders return to action tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. CT from J.C. Love Field.
