HATTIESBURG, Miss. – No. 2 seeded Louisiana Tech secures a spot in the C-USA Baseball Championship title game after dropping game one 9-6 in 13 innings to No. 3 seed Old Dominion and then a walk-off two-run single from Walker Burchfield in game two to clinch it.
 
LA Tech (41-19, 20-10 C-USA) splits the day with ODU (41-17, 19-11 C-USA) falling in extras in game one 9-6 and walking it off in game two 8-7 as Burchfield delivers a pinch-hit two-run single.
 
Game One
 
After the Monarchs tallied two runs in the first on a LA Tech error, Steele Netterville blasted his team-best 14^th home run on a solo shot to cut the lead in half, 2-1.
 
ODU scored four more over the next two innings on and RBI single and two long balls. The Bulldogs answered with a three-spot cutting the deficit to 6-4 in the bottom of the third when Philip Matulia launched a two-run home run and Adarius Myers grounded into a RBI fielder's choice.
 
After three full scoreless frames between the two pitching staffs, McLeod came up with a clutch two-out single to bring the ODU lead to 6-5.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Taylor Young sent a deep drive to right center field that got over the wall and tied the ball game up at six a piece. This solo home run marked 84 runs scored on the year, breaking his own single season record set at 83 last year.
 
After another four scoreless frames, we went to the 13^th inning and ODU plated a three-spot on a high chopping ground ball and a two-run single to take a 9-6 lead.
 
The Bulldogs fell but had another shot with the Monarchs in the evening.
 
Game Two
 
With six lead changes and a roller coaster of a ride, Walker Burchfield comes up in the clutch with a pinch-hit walk-off single over the shortstops head to seal an 8-7 victory on Saturday night in Hattiesburg.
 
The Bulldogs jumped out in front in the first as Cole McConnell singled to right field to take a 1-0 lead. With this RBI hit, McConnell breaks the single season RBI record at LA Tech which was set at 72 by Ken Shamburg in 1988. Jorge Corona drove in Netterville on a sacrifice fly to right field.
 
The second time through the order, ODU plated four runs in the fourth coming on a triple and an error, a RBI double and a two-run homer.
 
Young cashed in a massive two-out two-run double down the left field line to knot the score back up at four a piece.
 
Adarius Myers drove in another Bulldog run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to right to regain the lead.
 
C-USA Player of the Year Matt Coutney quickly answered back with a solo shot in the sixth to tie the game back up.
 
Jonathan Fincher had his best stuff tonight completing a season-high seven innings of work allowing five runs and striking out eight Monarch batters.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Wade Elliott came up with the bases loaded and was able to drive in Myers with a sacrifice fly to left field.
 
ODU catcher Brock Gagliardi then belted a two-run shot after a Tech error to take a ninth inning lead.
 
The Bulldogs had one last chance in the bottom half to make some noise. Netterville walked, McConnell singled and Corona was hit-by-pitch to load the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Burchfield came off the bench and first pitch swinging lined a base hit over the shortstops head to bring home the game-winning run and clinch a ticket to the C-USA Baseball Championship Title Game.
 
NOTABLES

• Bulldogs secure a trip to the C-USA Baseball Championship Title Game for a second consecutive year
• Burchfield delivers pinch-hit walk off two-run single
• Young breaks single season runs record
• McConnell breaks single season RBI record
• Young goes 3-for-5 with two RBI in game two
• Three Bulldogs homer on the day
• Crigger ties the single season appearance record at 34

 
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Lane Burroughs
 
 
 
UP NEXT
LA Tech will meet UTSA in the C-USA Baseball Championship tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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