Bulldog blitz: Diamond dogs too powerful in second battle of I-20

Monroe, La. (KTVE/KARD) — Louisiana Tech baseball went back to work in a midweek trip to Lou St. Amant Field for the second matchup in the of the I-20 battle against the University of Louisiana Monroe Warhawks after winning the first matchup a few weeks prior at home.

The Bulldogs started out hot with a two-run slam out of left field by outfielder Cole McConnell, and Warhawks outfielder Shawn Dalton Weatherbee picked up where he left off from the first matchup with his fourth homerun of the year to put the Warhawks on the board and trail the Bulldogs 2-1.

Relief pitcher for the Bulldogs Ethan Bates would return the favor shortly after with a blast homerun of his own to right field and put the dogs back up by two. After a few empty innings, Bulldogs infielder Michael Ballard drove a ball to the left that sent Bates to home base to extend the lead to 4-1.

The Warhawks refused to go away quietly after the inching the deficit closer off an RBI groundout from Warhawks infielder Colby Lunsford, but the Bulldogs would score twice more and seal the deal to take the second meeting of the series 6-2 and collect their 27th win on the year.

After the win Louisiana Tech Baseball Head Coach Lane Burroughs expressed the grind his team had to endure to pull out the win coming off a four-game road stand.

“Our guys are exhausted, that was a long road trip. We played a great team, the hottest team in the country. We played the two hottest teams in the country with the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and Arizona back-to-back. We didn’t get back home until yesterday at five, and I’m proud of our guys, I know they’re tired. Cole McConnell is hurt, Ethan is hurting, and Dalton Davis almost didn’t play tonight. He’s hurt. They’re just blown up and came out and laid it all on the line, I couldn’t be prouder of them. The pitching was outstanding and I’m proud of our hitters, they did good enough to win and we beat a good team at their house. I couldn’t be prouder of our guys. I they’re tired and I know they’re banged up, and they found a way to come out here tonight and they got it done,” said Burroughs.

The Bulldogs open up their weekend series in Texas on Friday against Dallas Baptist University.