RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech (1-0) opened its 2022 season with a home victory over Wichita State (0-1) Friday night at J.C. Love Field at Patterson Park 7-3. Bulldog catcher,
Jorge Corona, led the offensive charge tallying four RBI including a game-tying 3-run home run in the fourth that ultimately jumpstarted the ball club.
The starting pitching was dominant out of the gates.
Jonathan Fincher and Jace Kaminska, both receiving preseason honors, settled in early until both got into trouble in the fourth inning.
Wichita State catcher Ross Cadena brought home the first run of the ballgame, singling through the right side of the infield. The next batter, Couper Cornblum, smoked a 2-run double off the left field wall to take a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the fourth, Matulia led off with a hard-hit single sneaking through the infield. Followed by a
Cole McConnell walk. Two batters later
Jorge Corona sent a 3-run blast over the left-center field wall to tie the ballgame.
LA Tech took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with an infield single from
Steele Netterville bringing
Taylor Young around from second to score.
Sophomore outfielder
Cole McConnell tacked another run on a sacrifice fly to extend the Bulldog lead, 5-3. Corona delivered for LA Tech again when he ripped a 2-out RBI single that brought home two runs on the fielding error.
Jonathan Fincher got the victory in the season opener tossing seven strikeouts over five innings of work allowing three earned runs all coming in the fourth inning.
Cade Gibson came on in relief throwing the final four innings picking up the save. Gibson was lights out, with seven punchouts, no runs and allowing just two hits to the Shockers.
Jorge Corona and
Philip Matulia both had two hits in tonight's affair. Corona going 2-for-4 with a 3-run home run in the fourth inning, 4 RBI and a run scored. Matulia went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.
QUOTABLES
Head Coach
Lane Burroughs
"We knew runs were going to be a minimum, they had a 3-spot and low and behold
Jorge Corona gets underneath one with a couple of baserunners and hits a 3-run homer and the crowd goes crazy to lift us up."
"Cade (Gibson) was really good his first inning and if we had a chance to win we were going to go with Cade. It was his ballgame after that. He was on. It worked out for us pitching wise, only had to use two guys. Crigger is still fresh and he can go tomorrow and Sunday if we need him to."
UP NEXT
LA Tech will be back tomorrow afternoon in game two against Wichita State, looking to win the opening series of 2022.
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