TROY, Ala. – Louisiana Tech bats struggled to get going on Friday night, falling 4-0 to Troy at Riddle-Pace Field.
Levi Thomas earned the win for the Trojans (6-0), tossing 6 hitless innings while striking out 11 batters.
Jonathan Fincher tossed six strong innings for Tech (4-1), allowing just one earned run on five hits with ten strikeouts.
Shemar Page made his Bulldog debut in relief of Fincher, allowing two runs over two innings of work.
The Trojans opened the scoring in the first inning. An error at first base allowed a runner on with two outs. Troy capitalized on the error one batter later when Caleb Bartolero doubled to right-center field, scoring Dalton Sinquefield.
Troy tacked on another run in the third. Drew Frederic doubled to left-center to drive in leadoff hitter Rigsby Mosley.
The Bulldogs threatened in the top of the seventh inning.
Cole McConnell laced Tech's first hit of the day to left field and
Ben Brantley was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with two outs. Troy pitcher Ryan Fultz bounced back with a strikeout, however, to end the threat.
The Trojans put the game away in the ninth inning. Batolero drove a two-run home run over the wall in left-center field to give Troy a 4-0 lead.
Tech and Troy will return to action on Saturday, squaring off at 1 p.m. at Riddle-Pace Field.
Tyler Follis will get the start for the Bulldogs.
