La. Tech thumps UAB to even series

RUSTON Behind a solid pitching performance by Phil Maton, Louisiana Tech took advantage of four UAB errors and put together a four-run inning late in the game to defeat the Blazers, 7-2, and tie the series at one game apiece on a rain-soaked night at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.

Tech (17-18, 4-12 C-USA) led 2-1 over UAB (22-15, 9-8 C-USA) after three and a half innings when the long-awaited thunderstorms made their way to Ruston and forced a 43-minute lightning delay.

Following the break in action, UAB tied things up in the top of the seventh to make it 2-2, but the Bulldogs took advantage of three Blazers errors in the bottom half of the inning to score four runs and stretch Tech’s lead. A single run by Tech in the eighth sealed the 7-2 victory for the Bulldogs to set up Sunday’s 1 p.m. rubber match versus UAB.

Maton (4-1) threw seven innings, giving up the only two runs of the game for UAB, while allowing just four hits, two walks and striking out seven Blazers on his way to earning his fourth win of the season. Maton’s seven strikeouts against UAB moved the right-hander into sole possession of second place all-time in Tech history with 293 career strikeouts. Reliever Adam Atkins came on in the eighth with Tech leading UAB, 6-2, and gave up just two hits and struck out two in the final two innings.

UAB starter Alex Luna received a no decision after giving up two runs – one earned – on five hits in 5 2-3 innings, but it was reliever Ryan Ruggles (4-1) who was charged with the loss after coming on in the sixth and allowing four runs – three earned – on three hits by the seven batters he faced in the seventh. Adam Lamar closed out the final 1 1-3 innings of the night for the Blazers and allowed one run on a wild pitch in the eighth.

Needing a win to keep its hopes of a series win alive, Tech jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after scoring an unearned run in the second on an RBI single by Graham Ackal, followed by a solo home run to right field by Colby Johnson in the third.

UAB answered with a run of its own in the fourth after a lead-off walk by Griffin Gum led to a one-run single by Jeff Schalk to cut Tech’s lead to 2-1 just as the inclement weather arrived.

Trouble struck for the Bulldogs in the top of the seventh when Esteban Tresgallo led off the inning with a solo homer to left-center field to knot the game at 2-2, but responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning by scoring four runs thanks to three hits and three UAB errors. In that four-run inning, Taylor Love eventually knocked in the game-winning run on an infield single before runners advanced on the first error of the inning for UAB.

Graham Ackal led off the eighth with a walk, advanced two bases on sacrifice bunts by Chandler Hall and Bryce Stark, before eventually scoring on a wild pitch to extend Tech’s lead to 7-2 and allow the Bulldogs a cushion for the top of the ninth.

Love led the Bulldogs with two hits on the night and the go-ahead RBI, while Ackal knocked in the first run of the game in the second in a 1-for-3 effort with an RBI, walk and two runs scored. Johnson also totaled an RBI with his solo home run in the third. Tech outhit UAB, 8-6, in the win.

The series concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday with the Bulldogs set to start senior right-hander Laetten Galbraith (3-5; 3.35 ERA) on the mound. UAB will counter with right-hander Johnny Lieske (2-3; 4.18 ERA).