By Drew Parsley, Louisiana Tech Associate Director Strategic Communications; featured photo by Josh McDaniel
RUSTON — The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (21-12) won their lone midweek matchup this week with a gritty 10-7 win over the UL-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (16-20) on Wednesday.
Wednesday’s win marked the first time Tech scored double-digit runs against ULL in consecutive games since 1979, and the first time sweeping the season series since 2020.
The Cajuns jumped ahead to open the game with two runs in the first inning—a one-out wild pitch on a strikeout followed by a stolen base put a runner in scoring position. A second wild pitch put the runner 90 feet from home before scoring on an infield bunt single.
The Cajuns closed the gap some with an RBI knock in the fourth, but the Bulldogs plated two more on an RBI single from Ballard and Zeb Ruddell beating out a throw to first on a fielder’s choice to make it a 6-3 game.
The Cajuns and the Bulldogs exchanged solo shots in the fifth to bring the score to 7-4. Hawsey belted his second home run of the year and his first collegiate home run at the Love Shack. With Hawsey’s homer in the fifth, Tech scored a run in each of the first five innings for the first time since April 28, 2023 in an 18-8 blowout victory at Middle Tennessee.
After another stolen base, a base hit put ULL up 2-0 before the inning ended on the batter trying to stretch for a double and getting thrown out on a relay from right field.
The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the home half after a leadoff walk by Colton Coates and both Garrison Berkley and Michael Ballardgetting hit by a pitch, the ‘Dogs struck the scoreboard on a sacrifice fly to left from Sebastian Mexico.
Landon Fontenot retired the Cajuns in order in the second, bringing up Brody Drost to lead off for Tech with an infield base hit and moved up to second after Trey Hawsey drew a four-pitch walk. Both runners moved up 90 feet on sacrifice bunt laid down perfectly by Will Safford.
Colton Coates followed with a chopped grounder to the pitcher’s mound, where the Cajuns hurler picked the ball up and threw an underhand toss to his catcher from his glove to cut down Drost, but the speedy outfielder flew just past the catcher’s mitt to slide home and tie the game.
LA Tech put runners on second and third to open up the third inning after ULL was retired in order for the second consecutive frame on a leadoff walk by Mexico followed by a double to left off the bat of Eli Berch. Drost delivered by pulling a base hit through the right side of the infield and give the ‘Dogs a 4-2 lead.
ULL cut the deficit to two runs in the top of the seventh on an RBI double, but the ‘Dogs answered with a three-spot starting with a two-run two-bagger legged out by Coates before the Bulldog infielder advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch for Tech’s 10th run of the night.
The Cajuns closed the gap to 10-7 in the ninth after a two-run blast opened the frame, but Blake Hooks fanned a pair of batters and snagged a lineout back to him to secure the Bulldogs’ 21st win of 2025.
Fontenot earned his first collegiate victory after tossing 3 2/3 innings allowing three runs on two hits and a walk and striking out four batters. Logan Forsythe continued to be an issue for opposing hitters, striking out four of his five outs while allowing just one run on two hits and a walk.
Drost and Ballard each collected three-hit performances, while Coates drove in three RBI and scored three times. Both Drost and Hawsey also added a pair of runs. As a pitching staff, the Bulldogs struck out double-digit batters for the 14th time this season and their seventh with at least 12 punchouts.
The Bulldogs return to Conference USA play when they travel to Murfreesboro, Tennessee for a three-game series with Middle Tennessee. Friday’s series opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT with Saturday’s game to start at 4 p.m. CT. Sunday’s series finale is set for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch.
Head Coach Lane Burroughs after Wednesday night’s win over the Cajuns:
“Extremely proud of our guys. I didn’t really like the way the game started. They played a whole different lineup against us than they did last Wednesday. They played their speed guys—we told the team before the game that they’re going to try and bunt. They’re going to try and get runners on, steal bases, bunt some more and put pressure on you, and they did. I thought they executed, and when you execute the short game like that it’s hard to defend, but I thought our guys stayed the course. Brody [Drost] got a big hit for us—he kind of capped it and drove those runs in on second and third. Zeb [Ruddell] ran out a hard 90 [feet] that scored a run for us, that’s just hustle baseball. Obviously, we needed every run tonight. I thought [Landon] Fontenot did okay. I thought he was a little fatigued—about the second or third inning I thought his arm started dragging so we made a move. [Logan] Forsythe, the ball was exploding out of his hand, and he had too much traffic—we had to get Luke [Nichols] in there and get the one out. [Ryan] Harland did his job, and I thought [Nate] Crider was really good too. The double play was huge—bases loaded and we get the double play ball, which was big. Then [Blake] Hooks at the end—again, we needed every run. They pinch hit [Conor] Higgs, who’s got a bunch of homers, and he drove one out of the yard. Proud of our guys for finding a way to win a midweek game and sweep ULL this year.”
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