Win Streak Ends As Bulldogs Earn 7-2 Win Over Louisiana

LAFAYETTE – The duo of Cole McConnell and Jorge Corona combined to go 7-for-9 at the plate to lead a 15-hit attack and carry Louisiana Tech to a 7-2 win over No. 19-ranked Louisiana and snapping the nation's longest win streak at 16 games on Wednesday at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.

Michael Ballard added three hits with Grant Comeaux adding a pair as Louisiana Tech (26-9) split the season-series against Louisiana (25-9), which was looking to tie a school-record in consecutive wins (17) set in both 1994 and 2000.

"They came in and outplayed us tonight," Louisiana head coach Matt Deggs said. "I told (Louisiana Tech coach) Lane (Burroughs) after the game that they have an Omaha-type team if they catch a break or two. They've got the arms. They've got enough older hitters and they came in and won the fastball tonight.

"They had more strike zone discipline than us. They put the ball in play more when it mattered. We had traffic, we just never could cash in and that's a credit to them. They pitched us tough."

After Louisiana stranded five runners on base through the first two innings against Louisiana Tech starter Grant Hubka, the Bulldogs broke a scoreless tie with a third-run, third-inning beginning with Ethan Bates' fielder's choice which scored McConnell, who went 4-for-4 and scored three runs.

Ballard added an RBI single off Louisiana reliever Matthew Holzhammer (3-1) to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead before Will Safford's sacrifice fly scored Adarius Myers.

Louisiana, which stranded 11 runners and fanned 15 times against five Bulldog pitchers, cut into the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the third when Kyle DeBarge belted his 12^th home run of the season, but the Bulldogs would answer with a pair of runs in the fourth to increase the lead to 5-1.

McConnell and Corona, who was 3-for-5 with an RBI, led off the sixth inning with singles off freshman reliever JR Tollett before Ballard and Comeaux would hit two-out RBI singles to extend Louisiana Tech's lead to 7-2.

JT Etheridge and Jack Martinez combined to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard over the final 4.0 innings with Etheridge setting career-highs in both innings pitched (3.0) and strikeouts (6).

"JT Etheridge was outstanding," said Deggs. "A four-pitch mix with six punches in three innings. (Jack) Marty (Martinez) behind him, coming in and pitching off a good fastball. That will serve us well moving forward."

Blake Hooks (1-0) earned the win for Louisiana Tech with 2.0 scoreless innings and a strikeout. Sam Brodersen fanned three batters and allowed one hit in 2.0 innings in relief for the Bulldogs before Bates struck out a pair in the ninth.

Holzhammer allowed four hits and three runs in 0.2 innings for Louisiana, which surrendered its most hits this season and dropped its first midweek game in 10 contests. The loss was the Ragin' Cajuns first since an 11-8 decision on March 15 against Arkansas State and their first at home in the past 13 games dating back to March 9.

John Taylor went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI triple for Louisiana while Josh Alexander was 2-for-4 with a run scored. DeBarge went 3-for-5 at the plate for the Ragin' Cajuns, who will look to extend an 11-game SBC win streak beginning on Friday against Marshall.

"Like I told the team in the dugout, I'm so proud of them," said Deggs. "They got to do something that 99.99 percent of the people that play this game at a high level never get the chance to do. Sixteen (wins) in a row is nothing to laugh at.

"It was an incredible run. That was our first midweek loss (in 10 games). This is a two-fer for us. We lose one streak, but we still have a chance to make history with another one. We'll bounce back on Friday and look to play better baseball."

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Win Streak Ends As Bulldogs Earn 7-2 Win Over Louisiana

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Team Stats

Kyle DeBarge

John Taylor

Josh Alexander

Duncan Pastore

Players Mentioned

Josh Alexander

Kyle DeBarge

JT Etheridge

Matthew Holzhammer

Jack Martinez

John Taylor

JR Tollett

Players Mentioned

Josh Alexander

Kyle DeBarge

JT Etheridge

Matthew Holzhammer

Jack Martinez

John Taylor

JR Tollett

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