RUSTON – Tuesday night's battle between Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State looked very similar. 
 
Just like the matchup in Natchitoches back on April 4, nine innings was not enough as both squads were knotted up again at 6-6.  And the Demons prevailed again in extras, winning 10-7 in 11 innings in front of 2,171 fans at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
 
LA Tech (22-24) tied the game up in the second inning after Ethan Bates launched his 11th home run of the season, matching NSU's (24-18) leadoff dinger by Jeffrey Elkins to begin the contest.
 
The Bulldogs would even things up again in the seventh when Philip Matulia beat out a throw at first to score Logan McLeod.  The throw went wide of the pitcher trying to cover the bag and as a result Brody Drost scored all the way from second to make it 6-all. 
 
The home team was having to play catch-up throughout the middle innings after the Demons plated four runs in the third behind five singles and later scratching across another in the sixth when Elkins delivered an RBI double (went 4-for-5 on the night).
 
The comeback scoring began when Jorge Corona notched his 16th double of the year to send home McLeod.  The 'Dogs also took advantage of more Demon miscues with Drost and Will Safford scoring on a wild pitch and throwing error by the pitcher, respectively. 
 
After going through seven pitchers – Reed Smith, Greg Martinez, Ryan Harland, Rawley Hector, Alec Sparks, Caden Copeland, and even Jonathan Fincher (who struck out three batters in his one inning of work) – Ethan Bates came on in relief in the 10th and pitched a scoreless inning.
 
Bates then led things off with a single in the bottom of the frame, but two strikeouts and a fielder's choice doused any hopes of a comeback in that inning.  Bates (3-2) came back out for the 11th and did not have the same success, allowing two singles and hitting a batter before cleanup hitter Daunte Stuart laced a 3-2 pitch for a double to left field to score two.
 
The Demons added two more insurance runs, scoring on hit-by-pitch and wild pitch from Nick Fraginals. 
 
LA Tech got one back via a Dalton Davis solo homer, but that was all.  Kyle Froehlich (4-1) collected the win for NSU, pitching both extra frames.   
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Lane Burroughs
 
 "We got beat by a better team.  Disappointing.  We set up innings and didn't get it done.  This was a synopsis of our season.  We had chances, couldn't get the big hit, but they did.  I'm moving on to UAB.  We are still in good shape in our league.  We will try to get into the tournament and do some damage there."
 
UP NEXT
LA Tech will face UAB in a three-game conference series this weekend at the Love Shack.  The first game is Friday, May 5 at 6 p.m. CT.
 
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