Our Best Pitcher FINALLY Gets to Start!!!

[DogsWin]

We're 2-8 over our last 10 games. We've lost all three of our C-USA series (two played at home), we're still winless at home in C-USA, and we remain in last place in the conference.

But- we finally decided to start the best pitcher on our staff (Nate Harris) in the third game of our third conf series. Harris is our only pitcher with at least 20 innings pitched who has a sub-2.00 ERA and a 2-0 record. Let's see if our best pitcher can WIN A FRIGGIN' BASEBALL GAME and keep us from getting swept AGAIN at home!

[hambone29]

[SicemDawgz]

He's going to have to nearly hold them scoreless. We couldn't score in a Navy port brothel.

[DogsWin]

Harris strikes out the side in the top of the 1st! YES!

Top 2nd and UTSA goes down in order. Harris gets his 4th K of the game.
Bottom 2nd- Bloop single for Gladu. Daigle hit by pitch. Washam single. Bases loaded with 1 out. Colby Hamilton with a Sac fly. Tech leads 1-0.

Top 3rd- for the 3rd consecutive inning UTSA batters go down in order.
Bottom 3rd- Boggs gets a one-out single. Followed by strike out, then Boggs steals 2nd. Ullrich called out on a pitch that almost hit him in the left knee.

Top 4th- for the 4th consecutive inning UTSA batters go down in order.
Bottom 4th- Gladu with a leadoff single. Daigle with a single to advance Gladu to 2nd with nobody out. Jon Washam with the sac bunt to put runners 2/3 with one out. Hamilton gets his first homerun of the season off the scoreboard; it was a nice level swing not "lifted" like soooo many of our fly outs have been. Tech leads 4-0. Diaz with a line drive single, but gets stranded.

Top 5th- Harris gets his 5th strikeout. With two out Jordan Washam throws the ball away for an error. Next batter flies out for no damage.
Bottom 5th- Leadoff walk for Lunceford. Pitching change. Ullrich base hit. Gladu sac bunts both runners up a base. Daigle intentionally walked to load the bases. Jon Washam hit by pitch but not awarded a base. Then Washam gets the sac fly. Tech up 5-0. Next "UTSA Killer" Colby Hamilton gets his 5th RBI of the game on a single to right field. Tech up 6-0. Diaz hit in the back to load the bases, but Jordan Washam can't capitalize on it.

Top 6th- UTSA gets its first hit of the game, a double. Fly out. Harris gets his 6th strike out of the game. Fly out.
Bottom 6th- More swinging for the fence and lifting the ball at the plate; Tech goes down in order.

Top 7th- Nate Harris has pitched his longest game as a Tech Bulldawg. He gets his 7th strike out of the game. Pop foul out. Ground out and UTSA goes down in order.
Bottom 7th- Gladu with the leadoff singe, his 3rd hit of the game. Daigle hits into a double play. Ground out.

Top 8th- UTSA gets its 2nd hit of the game. Single up the middle, runners at 1/3. Shallow flyout to CF, but the runner must hold. Harris gets his 8th strike out of the game. Pop foul out as Daigle snags it running into the screen by the UTSA dugout. UTSA strands their base runners.
Bottom 8th- Strike out, ground out, strike out for Tech.

Top 9th- Single. Double play! Infield pop out. Dawgs win!

[SicemDawgz]

He's going to have to nearly hold them scoreless. We couldn't score in a Navy port brothel.y

That's exactly what he did!

[DogsWin]

This was the first complete game for a Tech pitcher this season.
Harris gets the complete game shutout!

Nate Harris vs CUSA 2-0. Rest of our staff vs CUSA 0-7. It's time to stop "saving Harris for later" and let Harris "save us" as a starter!

[SicemDawgz]

Game!! Complete game 4 hit shutout by Nate. I'm not saying he's the best pitcher in college baseball, but I bet a $100 bill if Nate met him, he wouldn't be afraid to slap him in the face. He goes after hitters like nobody's business. I knew he would pitch well, but I had no idea he would dominate like that.

[DogsWin]

The MOST DOMINATING pitching performance by a Tech pitcher this season! Harris mesmerized the UTSA batters.

[glm47]

This was the first complete game for a Tech pitcher this season.
Harris gets the complete game shutout!

Nate Harris vs CUSA 2-0. Rest of our staff vs CUSA 0-7. It's time to stop "saving Harris for later" and let Harris "save us" as a starter!

I don't think there is any question Harris has to start.

I'm wondering what has happened to Sutton. He had a good start against MS St. but has been terrible since.

I've been impressed with Zac Hamilton lately. He had 2 2/3 scoreless relief against ULL and a good start last weekend. Not sure why we took him out after 5 innings where he gave up 2 hits and 1 run.

[SicemDawgz]

The good news after tonight: (1) we finally won a conference game at home and (2) Nate Harris is a stud as a starter an the official Friday night guy from now on.
The bad news: We can not clone Nate Harris. SOMEONE else will have to step up in the starting rotation and as closer.

[PawDawg]

He's going to have to nearly hold them scoreless. We couldn't score in a Navy port brothel.

That's exactly what he did!

Offense hasn't been our problem. Starting pitching has been our problem.


Southern Miss- we scored 13 runs in games 2 and 3

Charlotte- we scored 17 runs in the two losses

UTSA - Friday was a freak night. Got screwed. No other way to put it. Offense was weak in game 2 today.
We scored 6 in game 3. Only needed 1.

[SicemDawgz]

Offense hasn't been our problem. Starting pitching has been our problem.


Southern Miss- we scored 13 runs in games 2 and 3

Charlotte- we scored 17 runs in the two losses

UTSA - Friday was a freak night. Got screwed. No other way to put it. Offense was weak in game 2 today.
We scored 6 in game 3. Only needed 1.

Starting pitching has been the Achilles heel this year. You're right about that. However, our situational hitting has been atrocious. Just like in game #2. We load the bases with zero outs and score one run. That's happening way to much for us to win many games.

[PawDawg]

Starting pitching has been the Achilles heel this year. You're right about that. However, our situational hitting has been atrocious. Just like in game #2. We load the bases with zero outs and score one run. That's happening way to much for us to win many games.

You and others are making too much of "runners left on base". That stat has always been used to complain about lack of offensive production, when in fact it is a product of offensive production. Yes, runners left on base is a product of RUNNERS GETTING ON BASE. I pointed out the offensive production since we began conference play. Other than game 1 yesterday it has been sufficient.

Getting behind early in games is bad in many ways, but mostly from a pitching standpoint. Since game two of USM we have struggled with starters and leaving them in too long. THAT is the concern. NOT offensive production. Those who think fielding % is a concern have certainly forgotten last year.

[DogsWin]

Well, at least we shouldn't be limiting Nate Harris to only 1-3 innings/series anymore. If he can give us 6-7 innings as a starter then maybe some of these other guys can finish better than they've been starting for us.

Our batting certainly improves with better pitching and the pitchers are certainly more comfortable when the bats show up prior to the 6th or 7th inning.

Nate Harris 2-0 vs CUSA! Colby Hamilton 5 RBI in a single game! Excellent defensive and offensive PRODUCTION guys!

[Rooster]

You and others are making too much of "runners left on base". That stat has always been used to complain about lack of offensive production, when in fact it is a product of offensive production. Yes, runners left on base is a product of RUNNERS GETTING ON BASE. I pointed out the offensive production since we began conference play. Other than game 1 yesterday it has been sufficient.

Getting behind early in games is bad in many ways, but mostly from a pitching standpoint. Since game two of USM we have struggled with starters and leaving them in too long. THAT is the concern. NOT offensive production. Those who think fielding % is a concern have certainly forgotten last year.

Post of the year thus far!