HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Louisiana Tech's baseball team used a three-run seventh inning to rally past Southern Miss, opening Conference USA play with a 3-2 road victory at Pete Taylor Park on Friday night. No. 21 LA Tech (15-5) notched its seventh win in-a-row in yet another come-from-behind triumph.
 
The Bulldogs erased a one-run deficit in the seventh inning for the second straight game, scoring three runs in the top of the seventh to take a 3-1 lead. Designated hitter Shemar Page led off the seventh with his second single of the night. With one out in the seventh, shortstop Alex Ray singled up the middle to put runners at first and second. Philip Matulia then entered the game for Page at second base as a pinch runner.
 
The stage was then set for leadoff batter Taylor Young, who once again delivered the hit of the night. Young pushed Southern Miss (13-7) reliever Tyler Stuart to a 3-2 count after falling behind 1-2, converting the payoff pitch into a game-tying RBI double off the left-field wall. Matulia scored to make it 1-1 and Ray moved up to third to put two runners in scoring position for third baseman Hunter Wells. Wells watched a 2-2 pitch shoot through the five-hole of the Southern Miss catcher, allowing Ray to trot on home from third to make it 2-1 Diamond Dogs on the wild pitch. Wells drove the next pitch to center field to extend Tech's lead to 3-1 with a sacrifice fly.
 
Relievers Kyle Griffen and Landon Tomkins helped push LA Tech across the finish line after combining to record the final five outs of the ballgame. Tomkins, a Brandon, Mississippi native, struck out two Golden Eagles with two runners on base to nail down his second save as a Bulldog. Tomkins' appearance on Friday night was his first outing since March 5 against McNeese State, which is when the right-hander tossed three scoreless innings to close out the game for his first-career save.
 
Despite not scoring first for the first time during its seven-game winning streak, LA Tech came from behind in the sixth inning or later in its third straight victory.
 
"We had some punchouts, but we stayed with it tonight," head coach Lane Burroughs said. "We got some big hits, and this is mature team. You never see them flinch.
 
"Tonight we stayed with it, and we hit the three spot. It ended up being enough."
 
Southern Miss tallied the first run of the night with back-to-back doubles to lead off the fourth inning. Bulldog starting pitcher Jonathan Fincher once again posted a phenomenal outing on Friday night, moving to 4-0 on the season behind 7.1 innings of one-run baseball. Fincher stranded two USM runners at third base during his time on the mound.
 
LA Tech's pitching staff and defense managed to leave 10 Golden Eagles stranded on base in Friday night's win. Wells and Fincher combined to record a 5-1 double play to escape the third inning, while centerfielder Parker Bates made a long run to right center to rob Southern Miss leadoff batter Gabe Montenegro of extra bases in the fifth.
 
The No. 21 Bulldogs snapped Southern Miss' four-game win streak and six-game win streak at Pete Taylor Park with the road victory. The Golden Eagles entered the weekend 3-0 in Friday night games played at Pete Taylor Park in 2021, including 2-0 in one-run Friday night contests.
 
LA Tech's three-run frame in the seventh marked its 41^st multi-run inning in 2021. The Bulldogs have pieced together at least one multi-run inning in six of their seven games during the current seven-game winning streak.
 
LA Tech will head back to Pete Taylor Park for a pair of seven-inning games on Saturday. The Saturday doubleheader will begin at 2 p.m. Right-hander Ryan Jennings will toe the rubber for the first game, while left-hander Cade Gibson will start in game two.