NORFOLK, Va. – The Louisiana Tech baseball team saw a dominating complete-game performance from starter David Leal in the first leg of Saturday's doubleheader, taking the first game 4-2, before Old Dominion came back and took a 7-3 win in the finale of Saturday's twin bill from Bud Metheny Complex on the campus of ODU.
 
The Monarchs improved to 29-18 and 11-13 C-USA after taking two of three from the Bulldogs (29-19, 13-11 C-USA) over the weekend set.
 
"I was very proud of the way we competed today," head coach Lane Burroughs said. "David (Leal) was incredible for us in that first game, and I thought we got some timely hits from the middle of the order. That's one of the most dangerous lineups in our league over there, and I'm proud of the way we fought and battled."
 
Game One Recap
In the first game of the doubleheader, Tech saw one of its most dominant pitching performances of the season from starter David Leal. The senior left-hander, making his first league start of the season, stymied the dangerous Monarch lineup, tying his career-high, while pitching all nine innings in a 4-2 Bulldog win, snapping a six-game skid for the visitors from Ruston.
 
Leal, began the game with a 2-0 cushion behind him after the Bulldogs plated a pair in the top of the first off ODU starter Jason Hartline.
 
Tanner Huddleston began the scoring with a sac fly to left, scoring leadoff man Taylor Young, who reached via a double down the left field corner. Then, the ensuing batter in Steele Netterville singled home Mason Mallard, who beat out an infield single in his first plate appearance of the day.
 
Trailing 2-0, the Monarchs tagged Leal for a run in the bottom of the first on a solo home run to right field from first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino. However, Leal buckled down and held the hosts off the board in each of the ensuing seven innings.
 
Meanwhile, the Bulldog offense added some cushion for their left-hander, courtesy of Huddleston and Netterville again.
 
In the top of the third, Huddleston doubled home Hunter Wells, stretching the Tech lead back out to two at 3-1, and then in the top of the fifth, Netterville scorched a line drive single off the glove of the leaping ODU shortstop, Tommy Bell, plating Mallard for the second time, and giving Tech a 4-1 lead.
 
Leal faced some late adversity in the bottom of the ninth, as the Monarchs added a run on a pair of singles, but the left-hander buckled down, and struck out the potential tying run in second baseman Matt Burch on pitch no. 122, wrapping up the complete game.
 
Leal scattered eight hits, allowing just the two runs, while striking out a season high seven and did not walk a batter. The left-hander did issue three HBP's but worked around traffic and a pair of Tech errors behind him.
 
His nine innings pitched tied a career high, set last year vs. Little Rock.
 
The heart of the Tech lineup provided just enough offense, as Mallard (2-for-4, 2 R) Huddleston (2-for-4, 2 RBI) and Netterville (2-for-4, 2 RBI) combined for six of Tech's nine hits in the first game of the day.
 
Game Two Recap
In the rubber game between the Bulldogs and Monarchs, it was Old Dominion who came out on top, rallying back from an early 3-1 deficit, staking a 7-3 win.
 
The Tech offense got off to a good start yet again, plating a single run in each of the first three innings. In the first, a two-out fielding error from Monarch shortstop Tommy Bell allowed Taylor Young to score for the first run of the game. Then in the second and third, Tech broke out the long ball, as Manny Garcia clubbed his third home run of the weekend in a solo shot to left in the second, followed by a solo blast from Mallard in the third.
 
With Tech holding onto a 3-1 lead, ODU took its first lead of the day in the bottom of the third. The Monarchs got to Tech starter Logan Bailey (5-5) in the bottom of the third. ODU led off the inning with back to back doubles before Pasquantino hit his second home run of the day, giving the hosts a 4-3 lead after three.
 
After Tech was held off the board in the fourth, the hosts chased Bailey after back-to-back singles in the bottom half. Tyler Follis entered in relief of Bailey and allowed both inherited runners to score, but worked out jams in both the fourth and fifth innings (including a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the fifth), giving the Bulldogs 2.1 innings of relief while striking out three and walked just one.
 
The Bulldogs had several opportunities to scratch over the final half of the game, but Monarch relievers Hunter Gregory and Trey Fisher combined to pitch the final 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing a combined three hits.
 
Tech closer Braxton Smith entered with two out and two on in the sixth and got a strikeout, keeping Tech in touch at 6-3. The right-hander tossed the remaining two innings, allowing a solo home run to Paquantino, but tied his career high with six strikeouts and did not walk a batter.
 
Taylor Young led the offense with three singles (3-for-5, 1 R), while Garcia and Mallard each added runs via their respective solo home runs.
 
The Bulldogs return to midweek action on Tuesday, taking on LSU from Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
 
Be sure to stay plugged into LATechSports.com and follow @LATechBSB on Twitter for all breaking news, in-game updates and other items of interest pertaining to the 2019 Diamond 'Dogs.