RUSTON – The Diamond 'Dogs (12-8, 2-0 CUSA) secured the series win to open Conference USA play, defeating Delaware (8-11, 0-2 CUSA) by a score of 9-3 at the Love Shack Saturday afternoon.
 
The Blue Hens jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first on a fielder's choice after loading the bases with one out. The 'Dogs responded in the third with a four-spot to take the lead, beginning with Cade Patterson drawing a one-out walk and advancing to second on a passed ball.
 
Colby Lunsford plated the first run of the day for Tech with an RBI knock to the left-center gap before a two-out double down the left field line by Sebastian Mexico gave the 'Dogs a one-run lead. Colton Coates made it a 3-1 game with an RBI single, and Zeb Ruddell capped off the four-spot with a bases-loaded walk drawn on a 3-2 count.
 
Delaware cut Tech's lead to just one in the top of the fifth, scoring two on a throwing error and an RBI base hit before a sac fly on the home side increased the lead to two going into the sixth.
 
The Bulldogs increased their lead to six in the eighth with their second four-run frame of the day. A pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch brought Mexico up to the plate with one out, before the senior pushed his second double of the day down the left field line, bringing in a pair of runners to make it a 7-3 ball game.
 
Coates followed up with a base hit on a 3-2 count to increase the lead to five before Wesley Scott ripped a knock to center field, driving in his second RBI to make it a 9-3 game entering the ninth.
 
Hudson Rowan tossed four innings allowing one earned run on three hits, four walks and struck out four Blue Hen hitters. Luke Nichols and Riley Fisher combined for three scoreless innings, with Nichols allowing two hits, a walk and picking up a strikeout.
 
Fisher earned his team-leading fourth save, hurling the final 2 1/3 innings giving up just one hit and a walk in the ninth among the nine batters he faced.
 
Mexico, Coates, Scott and Eli Berch all picked up multi-hit games, with Coates and Berch leading the 'Dogs with three hits apiece. Coates and Scott each drove in two RBI, and Mexico posted a game-high three RBI.
 
All eight batters in the starting lineup reached base safely in Saturday's contest, with seven of them recording a hit. The 'Dogs recorded double-digit hits for the seventh time this season, collecting 14 on the afternoon. The 14 hits are the second-most recorded as a team this season behind the 16 hits collected in the series finale against Houston Christian on February 15.
 
Quotables
 
Head Coach Lane Burroughs:
"It feels great to win a series to open up conference play. I'm extremely proud of our guys, especially our offense. We've been struggling a little bit. We've really been challenging our guys to play more aggressively and fearlessly—be more willing to crash and burn, and I think we saw that. When they're making aggressive mistakes, there's not much you can say about it—they're doing what we ask them to do. I think it sends a message to the opponent that we're here to play, and we're going to play hard. We had 14 hits, only struck out three times, walked eight times and hit by a pitch twice—so we won the freebie battle. We had traffic almost every inning, it seemed like. Very proud of the guys—a lot of them had multiple hits. It was probably one of our better offensive-production days of the year. Mexico had the huge double late in the game after a pop up with bases loaded and nobody out. We needed those runs—every run is precious. I thought Hudson started off good, but lost focus in the fifth. I thought Nate Crider was outstanding. They had runners on first and third with nobody out, and we ask him to come in to inherit those runners and he gets two huge punchouts. Then they get big hop on the pull side, we don't make a play and it cost us two runs. If we make that play, he doesn't allow anything. I thought Luke Nichols gave us just what we needed, and Riley Fisher was great at the end. We've asked a lot of him this year, we talked about pulling him until the lead extended and we let him finish the game. I thought it was a good all-around effort today—the thing we've been stressing the most is having quality at-bats, and to not panic. I felt like we panicked Tuesday night, and even today when the lead was close, I felt like we stayed with it. We drew our walks, took our HBPs, got on base—they stayed with the plan and the production showed. Very proud of our club—I thought we had a lot of energy. They looked like they were ready to go out and win a series, and we did. Now, it's a quick turnaround and you have to be up early, even though today was a 2 p.m. game. We have a 10 a.m. start tomorrow, which means we'll meet at 7:30. It's imperative we get our rest. Great teams find a way to get the sweep. It's great to win the series, but if we want to win the league and go where we want to go, you have to come out and finish it off."
 
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