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LOUISIANA TECH RALLIES FOR VICTORY OVER BASEBALL
3/3/2007
 RUSTON, La. — Louisiana Tech scored 12 runs in its final three innings to overcome an early deficit and win 13-5 over Sacramento State, Saturday night at JC Love Field.
The win evened the three-game series at one game apiece with the rubber match coming on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs are now 13-7 overall and 1-1 in WAC games. The Hornets fell to 3-11 overall and 1-1 in league games.
Trailing 3-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, La Tech posted four runs to take the lead for good. Pinch hitter Patrick Thomas delivered the big blow in the inning with a two-run double to left center. Kevin Winn followed with a single through the right side which scored two more runs and gave the Bulldogs a 5-3 lead.
Sacramento State pulled within one in the top half of the seventh when Gabe Jacobo scored on a Tim Wheeler groundout. However, the Hornets would pull no closer as Louisiana Tech would score six times in their half of the seventh. Four of those run came with two outs, including a two-run home run from Brian Rike.
Patrick Cummins led off the eighth inning with a single and was moved to third on a one-out double by Ryan Blair to start a Hornet rally. Pinch hitter Wes Oberlin then reached on an error which allowed Cummins to score and make the score 11-5. Jacobo was then hit by a pitch to load the bases but the Bulldogs turned a double play to dodge further trouble.
Louisiana Tech added two more runs in the ninth inning on another single from Thomas which plated two runs.
The Bulldogs scored the game’s first run when Rike doubled to left center to score one run in the first inning. The Hornets answered right back in the top half of the second. Jacobo led off with a strike out but advanced to first on a wild pitch. He then stole second and was moved to third on a David Flores sacrifice bunt. An infield single by Montana Dye scored Jacobo and Travis Kirkman later doubled to left to score Dye.
The Hornets added another run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly from Jacobo. However, Sacramento State missed a chance to blow the game open as they left the bases loaded. In fact, the team left 13 runners on base during the game, including nine in the first six innings.
Patrick Cummins led the Hornet offense with three hits in four at-bats. Dye added two hits while five different Sacramento State hitters accounted for the team’s five RBIs.
Thomas finished the game 3-for-3 with five RBI and two runs scored. Rike was 3-for-6 with three RBI and a home run to lead La Tech.
Trevor York gave Sacramento State its second solid start in as many nights. York threw 5.1 innings and allowed two earned runs and five hits. John Schlager (0-2) was handed the loss after giving up two earned runs and one hit in his two batters faced. Brandon Hudson (4-1) came on in relief of Ryan Rupert to earn the win. Hudson threw 5.2 innings and allowed just two runs and five hits while striking out three.
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