By Drew Parsley, Louisiana Tech Associate Director Strategic Communications
RUSTON — Louisiana Tech (15-10, 2-1 CUSA) took down the Grambling State Tigers (9-14, 5-1 SWAC) in a 14-6 thriller at the Love Shack on Tuesday. After Grambling picked up a 6-3 lead in the fifth, LA Tech responded with 11 unanswered runs to secure the win.
Garrison Berkley carried his hot offensive play at the plate into the game by belting his third homer in the past two games to get Tech started with a 1-0 lead in the first. The Tigers responded with a solo shot of their own in the third to even the score, but Berkley wanted more as he sent his second home run of the day in the home half to give Tech the lead back with a 2-1 score going into the fourth.
Tuesday’s game started to become a home run barrage as Grambling sent two more solo shots out of the park to regain the lead at 3-2. Once Tech was given their chance to bat in the inning, Zeb Ruddell crushed his first homer as a Diamond ‘Dog to the Right Field Kennel to tie it at 3-3. The Tigers offense showed no signs of slowing down as they plated three more in the fifth.
After a leadoff double and a groundout to advance the runner to third, an RBI knock gave Grambling a 4-3 lead before two steals and a fielding error would allow another run to cross the plate with two outs. Two more base hits followed to bring Grambling to a 6-3 advantage going into the home half of the fifth.
The ‘Dogs were held in check in the fifth yet responded in the sixth with Grant Comeaux, Ruddell and Thaxton Berch drawing three-straight one-out walks to load the bases before a pitching change was made by Grambling. The Tigers reliever then walked Brody Drost to score a run before hitting Matt Houston with a pitch to make it a one-run game.
Sebastian Mexico then entered the game as a pinch hitter and drew a walk himself, the fifth walk allowed by Grambling in the inning, to tie the game at 6-6. After another pitching change on the Tigers’ side, Colton Coates hit a sacrifice fly to give Tech their first lead back since the fourth inning.
Back-to-back two-run knocks by Drost and Houston gave the Bulldogs some insurance with an 11-6 lead through seven innings before Berch all but closed the door on Grambling with a three-run blast for his second career homer in as many games. Nate Crider then entered the game out of the bullpen and after allowing a leadoff walk, punched out the next three batters including a looking strikeout to end the game.
Tech’s 11 unanswered runs mark the second time this season the Bulldogs have scored at least 10 unanswered on an opponent (16 at Wichita State on March 14). It is also the fifth time this year that multiple Bulldogs have homered in a game. Berkley is the first Bulldog to hit multiple homers in consecutive game since Jorge Corona achieved that same feat in 2024. He hit two bombs in the series opener at New Mexico State on May 3 before hitting three the following day.
Luke Nichols earned the win to improve to a 2-2 record on the year, tossing 1 2/3 crucial shutout innings allowing three hits and fanning three batters. Berkley had the only multi-hit game for the ‘Dogs, and Houston, Drost and Berch each had three RBI. Ruddell and Berch also each scored three runs with six ‘Dogs scoring at least twice. Landon Fontenot had himself a solid outing in his first collegiate start, going three innings allowing one run on two hits with six strikeouts.
Tech hosts Kennesaw State for their Conference USA home opening series starting on Friday, March 28 with a scheduled 6 p.m. CT first pitch at the Love Shack. Game 2 starts at 2 p.m. CT with the series finale starting at 1 p.m. CT.
Head Coach Lane Burroughs after Tuesday’s win over Grambling
“Extremely proud of our team. We knew this was going to be a battle tonight. Grambling is really good offensively, [head coach] Davin [Pierre] does a great job. [I have] so much respect for their program and they have great players over there. They got a lot of transfers in—they lost some guys that were really good players that transferred out. It didn’t look good early for us, they came in ready to play [and] we knew it. We knew they were going to come after us with their hair on fire and they did. I’m very proud of our guys—we didn’t panic. Sometimes you get behind in a game and you start panicking, and I’ve been in those games. Everything works against you, so I’m very proud of those guys for not panicking and staying with the plan and finding a way to win the game. It was a big win for us. I thought Landon Fontenot, for his first start—I didn’t think he’d go three innings, but the ball was exploding out of his hand. A freshman from Shreveport, he’s just a tremendous competitor. He’s a keeper and I’m very proud of him. I thought Luke Nichols was good in relief again, and obviously [Logan] Forsythe—I saw on the board [his velocity] got up to 98 miles per hour, maybe 99. So obviously he was throwing the ball extremely well, and Crider was good at the end. We didn’t have to use [Blake] Hooks—we got him hot, but we didn’t want to use him. Thaxton hit the three-run homer and extended it, so we didn’t have to go to our closer. With a big weekend looming, it was good to not have to use him. Garrison Berkleyis on a heater, I guess. Two more homers and he’s on fire swinging the bat like he’s capable of doing it. I thought a lot of hitters had good nights, and we hung in there. Got our walks and HBPs, found a way to win. Again, just really big win for us.”
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