RUSTON – The Louisiana Tech baseball team managed just three hits on a summer-like Friday night, falling 5-3 to UTSA in front of 1,995 fans at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
 
LA Tech (26-29, 14-15 C-USA) had pitching woes and offensive fireworks last night in its 18-16 extra-inning loss. 
 
It was the polar opposite in game two of the series, getting quality pitching from starter Reed Smith (3-4) and reliever Ryan Harland who limited a potent UTSA (38-16, 21-7 C-USA) offense to just five runs.  Meanwhile, the Bulldogs could not get much going at the plate, getting only three base knocks that were all doubles – two in the second and one in the seventh.
 
The Roadrunners threatened to pick up exactly where they left off offensively, getting back-to-back, no-doubt solo home runs in the first from Taylor Smith and Antonio Valdez to take an early 2-0 lead.
 
While Smith settled in to pitch three scoreless innings following the rocky first, Kyle Hasler tied things up in the second after turning on a fastball and sending it into the leftfield corner to score Philip Matulia (doubled as well) and Logan McLeod (hit by a pitch for the 22nd time).
 
The Bulldog bats went ice cold after that, going the next four innings without a single hit (got one walk in each inning, but runners never advanced beyond first). 
 
UTSA got its biggest hit of the game in the fifth, the hit that broke up the 2-2 tie.  With two outs, Matt King drove in two with a two-out single to pull back in front. 
 
McLeod got on base for a second time via a walk in the seventh and was able to score all the way from first on Dalton Davis' two-out RBI double to pull the 'Dogs to within one. 
 
On the mound, Harland was keeping the home team within striking distance with three-plus innings of shutout ball in relief.  However, UTSA's Smith gave them another insurance run by blasting his fifth homer of the series (another solo shot) in the top of the ninth.
 
Limiting LA Tech to just three hits were Ryan Ward (1-1) who went 5.0 innings for his first win and Drake Smith who went the other 4.0 innings and got his first save of the season.
 
Before the game got started, LA Tech honored five seniors – Jonathan Fincher, Philip Matulia, Landon Tomkins, Tanner Knight, and Walker Burchfield – as well as two student managers, Garrett Belding and Spence Drake, as part of Senior Night.
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Lane Burroughs
 
"Story of our season.  We didn't pitch last night and we didn't hit tonight.  We have trouble putting it together it seems like.  I thought Reed Smith was outstanding.  He is a competitor and was facing a really good hitting team.  He gave us a quality start, pitching into the fifth inning and leaving your team a chance to win.  I thought [Ryan] Harland was really good.  Gave up the homer, but I thought he was outstanding.  [Kyle] Hasler hasn't played a lot and got a big hit for us.  Dalton [Davis] with the double.  That was pretty much it.  Wasn't a lot going on as opposed to last night.  We just didn't hit tonight."
 
UP NEXT
LA Tech closes out the regular season at the Love Shack on Saturday when they face UTSA in the final game of the series.  First pitch is set for Noon CT.
 
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