Diamond Dawgs start '04 with series WIN!

[OmahaDawg]

Dawgs take the ruber match at the LoveShack today by the score of:

LaTech 9
McNeese St 3
Final

Way to start off 2-1 against a team that played in the NCAA Regionals in '03. 53 more games to go. Come in Diamond Dawgs show everyone in Ruston and elsewhere that this is the TOP UP and COMING program at Louisiana Tech. Thank you Sim and Tree. We are supporting you all.

Martie

[markay714]

Great news!!! Keep up the good work!

[aubunique]

That makes it more fun to anticipate seeing our Dawgs play the Hogs in Fayetteville on the upcoming Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

[Soonerdawg]

I have one question about the series for those of you who were there. Both teams made quite a few errors on what appeared to be routine ground balls. I know we got a new infield this year. Is it too soft?

[boxerdog]

The game I saw on Saturday involved mostly throwing errors, especially by the pitchers and catcher.

[Soonerdawg]

There were those, but there were more of the type in which balls played the fielder. The infield may not have played any part, it's just that I noticed the infield looked loose, and there were a lot of problems fielding ground balls by both teams. There probably is nothing to it.

[Soonerdawg]

On a different note, today's game was a lot of fun to watch. Sim has shown that he is not puffing when he says he's going to play an exciting brand of baseball. Today's gem was a beautifully executed safety squeeze to score an insurance run in the eighth. We also played small ball well today. My two boys left today's game not only excited, but also with more knowledge of the game. It's too early to tell how the team will turn out in the long run, but I know our family is looking forward to the next home game.

[american]

Who is pitching well for us so far?

[aubunique]

Can't wait for the weekend.

[Soonerdawg]

Lake Charles American Press:

Big seventh inning keys La Tech to victory (2/9)


STAFF REPORTS

RUSTON — Louisiana Tech broke a tie score with a four-run seventh inning and five Bulldogs pitchers held McNeese State to three hits in a 9-3 Tech victory Sunday.

The win gave Tech two wins in three games in the season-opening series.

Kyle Sprangler capped the seventh inning rally with a two-run single for the Bulldogs, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the fifth.

The first six Louisiana Tech batters of the seventh inning reached base against McNeese relievers Danny Davis (0-1) and Ryan Leger. The Bulldogs strung together four hits and were helped by a run that was scored on a walk and another runner that reached when he was hit by a pitch.

McNeese starter John Doerfler pitched four shutout innings before getting chased by Tech in a three-run fifth, highlighted by a two-run home run by Stephen Soper.

Soper's homer tied the game after McNeese had built a 2-0 lead against Tech starter Mitch Tucker.

Dustin Smith tripled and scored on a Shawn Yarbrough sacrifice fly to give McNeese a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, then Chad Carnahan's solo homer made is 2-0 in the fifth inning.

The Cowboys' third and final hit, an RBI single by freshman Charlie Kingrey, gave McNeese its third run in the sixth inning.

That tied the score at 3-3, but Tech responded with the four-run seventh, then added two runs in the eighth inning against McNeese closer Rhett Gulledge.

Blake Burns (1-0) pitched 22/3 innings of shutout ball to get the win out of the bullpen

[Soonerdawg]

Newstar:

Pitching, late outburst carry Bulldogs past McNeese


February 9, 2004

RUSTON - Louisiana Tech erupted late for a 9-3 victory over McNeese State on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game of a three-games series at J.C. Love Field.

The Bulldogs (2-1) got strong performances from five different pitchers - who limited the Cowboys to three hits - and Tech scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie. The Bulldogs posted double figures in hits for the third straight game.

"We would like to have been able to win all three this weekend but I am very pleased with two victories against a very good McNeese State team that returns a lot of pitching from an NCAA regional team a year ago," Tech head coach Wade Simoneaux said. "We swung the bats well all weekend and we will get better as the season progresses on defense."

Freshman Blake Burns, last year's Louisiana Class 5A MVP at Gonzalez, picked up the victory by throwing 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Burns struck out four and allowed only one hit in his first collegiate appearance.

Soper, a freshman from Baton Rouge, hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning to tie the score at 2-2 after McNeese State (1-2) had taken an early two-run lead.

"I was real pleased with the way our freshmen stepped up today and came through for us," Simoneaux added. "Burns gave us some solid innings and Steve Soper had a big home run for us to get us back in the game."

Brandon Haygood drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning with a bases loaded single to give the Bulldogs a 4-3 lead. Gil Laird followed with a bases loaded walk and Kyle Spangler then brought two more runs in with single to left field, making the score 7-3.

McNeese State loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the eighth before Chris Herron came on to get pinch-hitter Brian Berhardt to foul out to end the inning.

Mitch Tucker started on the mound for Tech and pitched five solid innings, allowing only two hits and three runs while striking out five.

"I thought Tucker was outstanding today," Simoneaux said.

Haygood, Spangler, Jeff Walker and Gary Holik each had two hits for the Bulldogs.

After committing nine errors in its first two games of the season, Tech played much better in the field before a pair of errors in the ninth inning.

The Bulldogs return to action next weekend at Arkansas.

[go_mcneese04]

Congratulations to LaTech's baseball team on the series win. From the comments on this board, and reading the news accounts, I gather Sun.'s game may be more representative of the type of team each school has. Great pitching by the Tech staff. Only 3 hits allowed the whole game. That's gonna win a lot of baseball games in college.

McNeese is high on it's pitching staff. I would have hoped, when they got back to even, that staff could have held together better. But, it is still early, and each team will get better as the months go on.

Good luck to your team through the remainder of the season.

[olddawgfan]

Thanks, Chris ... and good luck to the Cowboys this season!!!

[Buddy1972]

McNeese freshman RF Charlie Kingrey (#21) had a pretty good weekend, getting 5 hits in 9 at bats. By Sunday, I was getting anxious any time he stepped to the plate.

Hated to see those two Tech errors in the 9th inning Sunday, but they weren't fatal.

Blake Burns was impressive Sunday, but so was Mitch and the rest of the staff. Holding McNeese to three hits ain't bad.
Coach Sim is keeping his promises and it's going to be fun watching the Diamond Dawgs this season.

[aubunique]

Let the Good Dogs roll!