Coming out Swinging

Though starting off their run in the NCAA Austin regional with a revenge victory over Dallas Baptist University was certainly in Louisiana Tech’s plans for Friday night, it’s safe to say the Bulldogs accomplished that goal in some unexpected ways.

The first surprise came a few hours before game time as Cade Gibson, the planned starter for coach Lane Burroughs and the Diamond Dogs, had to be scratched in favor of Jonathan Fincher due to tightness in his shoulder.

But even more unforeseeable was the Bulldogs’ most pivotal runs coming from an inside-the-park grand slam that by all rights should have been a routine fly-out.

Tech left UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas Friday with a commanding 12-5 first-round win over the Patriots to book a Saturday evening date with the Texas Longhorns in the winners’ bracket.

When catcher Jorge Corona stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the sixth frame, he faced a bases-loaded, two-out situation against a DBU team that had already proven they could hit for power and potentially close the 7-4 gap the Bulldogs had established.

He sent a fly ball to deep right center, but that’s not where center fielder Nathan Humphreys was waiting for it.

Hands in the air in confusion, Humphreys stood far to the right and short of the hit’s arc, helpless as the lost ball dropped unchallenged to the turf.

The ensuing scramble in the outfield allowed Corona to follow his teammates to the plate for a grand slam that was easily the strangest home run of the five produced in the game.

It came at a good time for Burroughs’ squad.

“That was huge, getting those runs in,” Burroughs said after the game. “We needed those runs.”

The Patriots were held to just one run through the first five innings by the southpaw Fincher, who didn’t know he would be starting until about noon Friday.

“Didn’t have his best stuff,” Burroughs said. “But Finch, he’s a warrior.”

The 2021 C-USA All-Conference pitcher absorbed an early onslaught of contact from hungry DBU bats to throw five innings of one-run, four-hit baseball with two strikeouts on 60 pitches. He got the win to improve to 8-2 in 14 starts, and the Bulldogs got redemption over DBU after the Patriots claimed a 7-4 midweek win in Ruston back in March.

Fincher’s one blemish was a solo dinger to left off the bat of Humphreys in the 3rd, one that left fielder Adarius Myers almost caught as he collided with the low wall.

That shot gave the Patriots a momentary 1-0 lead, but the Dogs responded quickly in the bottom of the inning when Philip Matulia launched a nuclear blast off the light fixture beyond right field for a two-run home run, plating leadoff man Taylor Young, who had doubled.

“Every time they scored, we answered,” Burroughs said.

Matulia and Young joined Corona as the heavy hitters of the evening. The catcher had a two-run homer to left field in the fifth to add to his unique grand slam for a total of 6 RBI, while Matulia and Young contributed three hits each, with Matulia adding 4 RBI of his own.

Young was able to add two more runs to his NCAA-leading total on the season, which now stands at 88.

By the time Fincher was relieved to start the 6th, the Bulldogs had a 7-1 lead. 

But DBU threatened immediately upon the starter’s exit, getting runners on a single and an error before first baseman Cole Moore smacked a three-run homer to left center off Tech reliever Landon Tomkins to make it a 7-4 contest.

Burroughs brought in sometimes-starter Greg Martinez to relieve Tomkins, and the sophomore righty shut the rally down before taking the Dogs all the way home with 3 and 2/3 innings of one-run, three-hit ball, striking out five and picking up a long save in the process.

“Greg was phenomenal,” Burroughs said.

A key effect of Martinez’s performance was the Dogs not having to use standout closer Kyle Crigger, keeping him that much fresher for Saturday’s matchup with the No. 1 seed Longhorns.

“That’s huge for our pitching staff,” Burroughs said.

Texas threw its ace Pete Hansen in an 11-3 walloping of Air Force to start the regional Friday afternoon. 

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs retained Ryan Jennings, their most reliable starter this year, for the second-round matchup against the Big 12 powerhouse, in addition to a fresh Crigger to close things out if needed.

Other than two home runs and a laser throw to catch a would-be base stealer at third, Corona also endured a pitch to the chin off a low hop in the eighth. After some medical attention at the plate, he stayed in the game.

“What a warrior,” Burroughs said of Corona. “I can’t believe it didn’t knock him out (of the game). He’s getting stitched up now. He bit his tongue, he was bleeding, he had a lot going on.”

In other health notes, Gibson will reportedly be available to pitch Sunday.

First pitch in Tech vs. Texas is set for 6 p.m. Saturday after Air Force and DBU play an elimination game on the losers’ side.

Either the Bulldogs or Longhorns will end the night with a big advantage in the regional as the only undefeated team in the double elimination format.

The game is set to be televised on the Longhorn Network.