RUSTON – Not much went right for Louisiana Tech on opening day as the Bulldogs fell, 10-1, to BYU in front of 2,204 fans Friday night at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
 
While LA Tech (0-1) could only scratch across one run on four hits, BYU (1-0) put up runs in five different innings while amassing 15 hits, seven of which were doubles.
 
Jonathan Fincher, who was making his fourth consecutive opening day start, took the loss.  The left-hander lasted 4.0 innings on the mound, giving up three runs on six hits. 
 
The Cougars then struck for three more runs against Bulldog reliever Ryan Harland.  The visiting team got a solo shot to right center by Ryan Sepede, an RBI double from Ozzie Pratt (one of his team-leading three hits), and an RBI single to right field by Luke Anderson to make it 6-0 in the top of the sixth.
 
BYU broke things open though in the top of the eighth, plating four more runs (three of which were a result of a hit-by-pitch and two wild pitches). 
 
After only having one base runner through the first seven innings (a double by Logan McLeod), LA Tech plated its lone run as Walker Burchfield shot an RBI single into right center to score Jorge Corona who got the inning started after being hit by a pitch.
 
The hitting of Corona was the last batter faced by the Cougars starting pitcher Jack Sterner who was lights out for the most part, going 7.0 innings while allowing the lone hit to McLeod in the third.
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Lane Burroughs
 
"Credit BYU's [Jack] Sterner.  He was really good.  We knew he was going to be good coming in.  He is a veteran pitcher.  The disappointing thing to me was that I felt like we did not fight very hard at the plate.  We are better than that.  At the end of the day, they took it to us.  You have two options, you can melt and surrender or you can come out and fight tomorrow.  They outplayed us."
 
NOTABLES

• With the 10-1 loss, LA Tech had two winning streaks snapped (had won four straight season openers and eight straight home openers).
• LA Tech is now 4-4 all-time against teams from the West Coast Conference.
• Jonathan Fincher made his fourth straight opening day start for the Bulldogs. The left-hander had won the previous three outings.
• Adarius Myers had two outfield assists in left field, already matching the two he had all last season.
• Walker Burchfield provided the lone RBI for the Bulldogs. He also tallied an RBI in the 2022 season opener.

UP NEXT
LA Tech and BYU face off in a doubleheader on Saturday with the first game starting at 2 p.m. CT.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Bulldog Baseball, follow them on Twitter (@LATechBSB), Instagram (@LATechBSB), and Facebook (LATechBSB).