Ruston, La. – Louisiana Tech starts the 2024 season with a win in their home opener against Northern Colorado. The Bulldogs beat the Bears by a score of 9-3, while both teams would have eight hits in the game. Â
Tech started slow, giving up one run, two hits, and one error in the top of the first inning. Senior
Ethan Bates ignited a spark in the offense with a double to right field, which extended his current on-base reach streak to 24.Â
The Bulldogs (1-0) tied the game up in the second inning after a bases-loaded wild pitch, resulting in
Grant Comeaux bringing in the first run for the Bulldogs. Northern Colorado (0-1) Â took over in the top of the third, scoring a run to make it 2-1. Tech collected three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Senior
Dalton Davis scored on a balk, while Senior
Jorge Corona followed after a wild pitch from Northern Colorado. LA Tech made it 4-2 following a bases-loaded hit by pitch RBI from
Kasten Furr that led
Adarius Myers to score.Â
UNC would cut LA Techs' lead to one, with Jackson Romero single to drive in Kai Wagner. Redshirt- Junior
Will Safford delivered his first home run of the season to right field, making Tech's lead 5-3. Tech tagged on two extra runs after a throwing error from Northern Colorado shortstop Kai Wagner and grew the lead to 7-3.Â
Senior
Kasten Furr would drive in his second RBI of the game, forcing Tech's lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the sixth. Louisiana Tech eventually forced the score to 9-3 after
Jorge Corona scored a fielder's choice.Â
Louisiana Tech's pitchers
Reed Smith and
Grant Hubka combined for 11 strikeouts against Northern Colorado. The Nebraska native, Hubka, earned a career-high six strikeouts and gave up only two hits on the mound. Senior Smith tied a career-high five strikeouts, in which he had two games last season with five strikeouts. Smith gave up five hits and three runs, as well.Â
Louisiana Tech will continue its four-game home opener with a doubleheader on Saturday, with game times at Noon and 3 p.m. against Northern Colorado.Â
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