Tech continues momentum in sweep of Sam Houston

Adarius Myers' first home run of the season - a three-run shot to left - delivered Louisiana Tech (33-13, 11-4 CUSA) a 12-9 win and series sweep over Sam Houston on Sunday at JC Love Field.

Trailing on three separate occasions - 5-0 after the top of the second, 8-7 through seven and 9-8 entering the bottom of the ninth, Tech didn't flinch and will now enter May all alone in first place in the Conference USA standings.

It's what Tech head coach Lane Burroughs expected to see from his group after a rough series loss to Arizona two weekends ago, including a blown 5-0 lead in the ninth in game two. It's where the Bulldogs could have splintered. Instead, it's given the Bulldogs a spark - one that has them seriously flirting with a regular season Conference USA title and at-large NCAA Regional bid.

And that includes Sunday, where the team's maturity was tested as much as its been all year. But there's too much at stake for the Diamond Dogs to roll over.

“It was one of those weekends where it was kind of meant to be," Burroughs said. "We’ve had our weekends and games where we should have won a ballgame. We can go back to two Saturdays ago in Arizona. Coach [Mitch] Gaspard made the comment, ‘Something good is going to come out of this. We’re going to win some games we probably shouldn’t.’ I feel like that might have been the turning point of our season to be honest with you.”

“AD. He’s a Bulldog Man. he’s a forever captain. What a time to hit your first homer," Burroughs said. "I did not know the ball was out of the yard. I knew it was a double, so I knew we won. And then I heard the PA guy say ‘home run.’ Couldn’t be more proud of him. Proud of all of our guys.”

The baseball gods favored Tech this weekend in different ways, as the Bulldogs kept the momentum going after an attention-grabbing top 25 series win at Dallas Baptist the weekend before. Whether it was Friday's 2-0 shutout, taking game two after a game-tying home run was taken off the board when Walker Janek forgot he had to touch home on Saturday, or Sunday's threefold comeback, Tech's fifth win in a row has the program in favorable position the final three weeks of the regular season.

And it took unwavering maturity to get the job done. The kind of maturity Tech bet on before the season began.

"I thought it was huge they get the five-spot and then we get five to tie it up and then we took the lead. Just relentless. Offense was relentless," Burroughs said. "We challenged them before the game in the scouting report that we’re going to have to score today. When we got down 5-0 it didn’t look good but Jorge, another senior with a homer. Our guys are older. They don’t panic. Dalton Davis with a big hit. Seemed like a new guy came up every inning to come up with a big hit.”

The lineup maturity the Bulldogs have leaned was found throughout Sunday, starting early after Turner Swistak had a quick outing - 1 2/3 innings, 5 earned - with a 2-run home run and a double got him in trouble in the second inning. It was the first time all weekend Tech found itself trailing.

That feeling didn't last long.

Jorge Corona got Tech on the board with a solo home run to left, followed by sac flies from Kasten Furr and Will Safford. And after walks from Dalton Davis and Cole McConnell, Ethan Bates delivered a 2-RBI single to tie the game at 5-5 entering the third. In a blink of an eye, a five-spot was erased.

It's the second time this week Tech had allowed a five-spot by an opponent (gave up 5 runs to Nicholls in the third), only to then come back in the next half inning with at least four runs.

Tech wasn't done with Furr delivering another RBI, scoring Grant Comeaux, to give the Bulldogs a 6-5 lead. The next inning, Michael Ballard reached on an error by Sam Houston, allowing Bates to come home.

Sam Houston kept punching back, eventually tying the game at 7-7 in the fifth, and then retaking an 8-7 lead in the sixth on a sac fly.

In the bottom half of the frame, Ballard once again put the ball in play, only for Sam Houston to fumble the ball once more and commit an error on a throw to first, allowing Bates to tie the game at 8-8.

Ryan Harland, who hadn't pitched in 16 days, came on the in the ninth to hold the Bearkats down. But SHS punched back once more with a leadoff triple to center and an RBI single gave the visitors a 9-8 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth.

But once again, Tech had no panic. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Davis slapped a single up the middle to bring home Myers to make it a 9-9 game and bring the Love Shack back to its feet.

Bates was called on for the third time in the weekend series, not in a save situation, but still produced his staple 1, 2, 3 apperance.

To start the 10th, Jorge Corona stayed hot with a leadoff single, allowing Thaxton Berch to come in as a pinch runner. With two outs gone, Comeaux came through on a hard single to center to bring a sprinting Berch to third.

The walk off sealed the deal, as Myers crushed his first long ball of the season on the first pitch he saw to release the Bulldogs out of the dugout and into a water-doused party at home plate.

A soaked Myers said postgame the Bulldogs expect to win when they take the field now. Why?

“We’re relentless," Myers said. "We started off the season really good, ran into a rough stretch and we knew after we lost to Arizona up five going into the ninth, the coaches just told us good things happen after games like that if you treat the game the right way. I feel like everybody on this team treats the game the right way. Every time the coaches challenge us, we meet the challenge. That's what we do."

Myers went 4-6 with 3 RBI and a HR, while Corona finished 3-5 with a HR. Bates and Ballard each had 2 hits, while Bates and Furr each had 2 RBI.

LA Tech returns to action Tuesday in the final midweek game of the year at ULM. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.