LA Tech fends off Liberty in Game One
Photo by LA Tech Athletics Jorge Corona heads home after hitting a three-run home run in the Bulldogs' win over Liberty in Game One on Saturday.
One more to go.
LA Tech (44-16) completed the first leg of its must-win games against Liberty in a 8-7 win over the Flames on Saturday afternoon, sending both teams into a win-or-go matchup tonight. The winner advances to Sunday's CUSA Championship game.
Jorge Corona said hold my beer in the home half for the first after Liberty jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top half of the fame, tying it up 3-3 on a three-run home run to left on an 0-2 count. With the HR, Corona moved into second in career home runs (47) in Tech history, passing Steele Netterville (46). Ethan Bates put Tech ahead 4-3 in the second on an RBI double to right - his 21st of the year.
Tech starter Turner Swistak struggled to stay out of trouble, finishing his day with a line of 2 1/3 innings, giving up 5 earned runs. Despite trailing 5-4 by the time Swistak exited, the Bulldogs answered back in the bottom of the third with an RBI double from Grant Comeaux scoring Michael Ballard for his 4th RBI of the tournament. Later in the inning, Kasten Furr's sac fly put Tech in front 6-5.
From there, the Bulldogs turned to a one-nation army in junior left-hander Connor Nation out of the bullpen.
The southpaw excelled in his relief appearance with a season-high 4 innings pitched and season-high 5 strikeouts to keep Liberty at bay and give Tech the cushion it needed to stay alive. With Tech needing arms fresh for Saturday evening and potentially Sunday, Nation went longer than he'd ever been asked.
The fatigue caught up with him as he gave up a two-run home run in the ninth to slice the deficit to 8-7.
Last season, Nation pitched at Hinds Community College. This spring, when the Bulldogs needed someone to step up, he delivered with zero after zero, including inning-ending strikeouts in the seventh and eighth.
But when there's a lead to hold, the Bulldogs knew who to call - Ethan Bates.
Bates closed the door on Liberty with his 17th save of the season - the most by a Conference USA pitcher since Tyler Conn had 18 in 2008.
