NORFOLK, Va. – Louisiana Tech tops Old Dominion 8-4 Sunday afternoon at Bud Metheny Ballpark to win its fourth conference series of the season.
 
LA Tech (30-15, 14-7 C-USA) takes the series finale and wins the series at Old Dominion (29-12, 11-10 C-USA) as the Bulldogs use a big five-run third inning and a solid outing from the pitching staff.
 
The Bulldogs struck first right out of the gates in the first inning. Taylor Young led things off with a base on balls and Philip Matulia follows up with 13^th double of the year bringing Young home. Matulia later advanced to third on a wild pitch and Cole McConnell adds to his team-leading 55^th RBI on a sacrifice fly to center.
 
Monarch center fielder Thomas Wheeler launched a solo shot in the bottom of the second cutting the Bulldog lead in half, 2-1.
 
The Bulldogs answered right back in the top of the third with a five spot. The first four batters reached base on hits, Jorge Corona was hit-by-pitch and Adarius Myers followed with a two-run single. Steele Netterville drove in his 50^th and 51^st RBI of the season earlier in the inning. Corona scored the fifth run of the frame on a wild pitch extending the lead 7-1.
 
In the top of the fourth, Cole McConnell added his second RBI of the day on a two-out base hit to right field to make the lead 8-1.
 
Wheeler jumped on a pitch in the bottom of the fourth blasting his second solo homer of the day and his eighth of the year.
 
Jonathan Fincher made the start in this one going 4.1 allowing two runs on the two home runs, eight hits, no walks and struck out three.
 
Landon Tomkins entered the game in the fifth with two on and induced a double play ball to escape the threat. Tomkins gave the Bulldogs 1.2 innings with no runs, just one hit and one walk.
 
Tanner Knight tossed a clean seventh inning until running into some trouble in the eighth. The Monarchs scored two in the inning off Knight on a Matt Coutney solo shot and an RBI double from Kenny Levari making the Bulldog lead 8-4.
 
Kyle Crigger entered in the eighth after the double and retired the next three batters without Levari moving passed second. The Bulldog closer faced traffic in the ninth walking the bases loaded to allow the tying run to the plate. Crigger forced a groundout to second base to end the game and the series win.
 
NOTABLES

• The Bulldogs earn win No. 30 on the season
• Fourth conference series win
• All eight runs came in the first four innings
• Matulia goes 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and three runs
• McConnell, Netterville and McLeod each with two-hits and two-RBI days
• McLeod ripped his first career triple in the top of the ninth
• Tomkins earns the win improving to 4-0
• Four consecutive hits for the Bulldogs to start the top of the third

 
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Lane Burroughs
 
"They swing the bat so good, every one of their guys is a home run threat. So, we went all in with Crigger to get us six outs there in the eighth. Proud of our guys, we haven't been in a good place. We haven't been playing good baseball. I thought after they had their players-only meeting on Friday night. What a response these guys had after the way they played that night. It was big to come back and get both these games on the road against a team that I picked to win the league."
 
"It's day-to-day in college baseball. Fincher gave us a good start. Obviously, Tomkins came in and induced the double play against a player who has a shot of winning the triple crown in our league. That was the play of the day. I was proud of him for getting out of it."
 
UP NEXT
LA Tech is back home for a Tuesday night showdown with UL-Monroe at 6 p.m.
 
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