FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State moved to within two games of the lead in the Western Athletic Conference baseball race with a 12-1 victory over Louisiana Tech in game one of a three game series on Friday night at Beiden Field.
Rice leads Fresno State by just two games with five games to play after the Owls dropped their series opener against Hawaii.
Tech (17-35, 9-16 WAC) got behind early as Fresno State scored six runs in the first three innings as Bulldog starter Clayton Myer (4-9) did not get out of the third inning.
Nick Moresi and Chase Moore both picked up RBIs in the first inning with hits before the third run scored on a Bulldog error.
Kent Sakamoto gave Fresno State a 4-0 lead in the second inning with a solo home run.
Fresno State tacked on two more runs in the third inning to build a 6-0 lead over Louisiana Tech.
Meyer was roughed up for seven hits and six runs in 2 2/3 innings.
Matt Garza (6-5) was tough on Tech hitters as he allowed just one run on nine hits in eight innings while striking out six to collect the victory.
Tech picked up its only run in the seventh inning when Ryan Hamilton had a RBI ground out after hits by Brandon Haygood and Ben Tabor.
Haygood led off the eighth inning with a double to tie the Tech single season record with 20 doubles.
Beau Mills had a three-run home run in the eighth inning to push the Fresno State lead to 10-1.
Hamilton and Tabor had two hits each for Tech.
Louisiana Tech collected 10 hits and committed three errors while Fresno State posted 15 hits and made one error.
Alan Knotts, Andrew Lassere, Aaron Lorio and Mitch Tucker all pitched in relief for Tech.
Game two of the series will be on Saturday at 8:35 p.m. There will be no radio coverage of the contest.