BOCA RATON, Fla. — Louisiana Tech banged out nine hits and got homers from Philip Matulia and Dalton Davis but committed three errors and lost to Florida Atlantic, 9-5, Friday night at FAU Stadium, the first of three weekend games scheduled between these two teams battling for position in Conference USA.
 
The Dogs and Owls are scheduled to play Saturday at 3 CST and Sunday, Mother's Day, at 11 a.m. CST.
 
With the loss, Tech dropped to 25-26 and FAU is 29-21. Both teams are 13-12 and tied for fourth in CUSA, a half-game back of Charlotte and well off the pace of second place Texas-San Antonio and league leader Dallas Baptist.
 
C.J. Williams (2-1) gave up six hits and one earned run, struck out three and walked one to get the win. Tech senior lefty Jonathan Fincher (8-4) took the loss; he gave up seven runs, only five earned, walked three and struck out three in five innings. While Fincher "just didn't have it," head coach Lane Burroughs said, junior righty Greg Martinez gave up two runs over the final three innings and "had everything working."
 
"He was phenomenal," Burroughs said. "To go on a run late, you've got to have guys like that step up. He saved us so we didn't have to use a lot of guys.
 
"I thought it was a lackluster effort overall; really disappointed," Burroughs said. "We had practice here last night, talked about how fast and hard the field was, and we let it affect us. The positives are we battled offensively and forced them to bring in their closer so we could see him, which they didn't want to do, but I know what they were trying to do and that's make sure you get game one."
 
The Owls did. But trailing 9-5, Tech threatened in the ninth when Kyle Hasler led off with a pinch hit single. The Dogs got two on with one out before Robert Wegielnik came on to get the final two outs and earn his fifth save of the season.
 
Tech took a 1-0 lead in the second on two hits and a wild pitch but the Owls doubled that up in their half of the inning on a double, triple and sacrifice fly.
 
Then the Owls got five RBIs and stretched the lead to 7-1 on a three-run home run in the third and two-run single in the fourth, both by first baseman Nolan Schanuel, projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming draft and widely considered the best first base prospect college.
 
Tech scored three in the sixth to make it 7-4 when Jorge Corona doubled in Brody Drost, who'd reached on an error, and Matulia homered, but the Owls added two in their half. Davis homered in the seventh for the Dogs' final run.