JOURNAL STAFF
The Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State baseball teams tuned up for their meeting this evening in Ruston with lopsided Tuesday night wins.
The Bulldogs blitzed visiting UALR 10-0 at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park. They’ll host the Demons there this evening at 6.
Tech (26-11) blanked Little Rock (16-16) behind a strong start from Greg Martinez and timely bases-clearing doubles from Steele Netterville and Cole McConnell. Netterville, the Byrd product, delivered 3 RBI with a two-out double in the second to open a 4-0 lead.
Martinez was spectacular in his fifth start of the season, throwing seven shutout innings allowing just three hits, walking two and striking out a season-high eight batters.
NORTHWESTERN STATE 11, LSUA 4: In Natchitoches, Jeffrey Elkins hammered a three-run homer to ignite a seven-run eighth inning that carried the Demons over the visiting Generals. Elkins’ seventh home run of the season was the only hit of the eighth inning for the Demons (17-18), who reached double digit runs for the second straight game.
LSUS 7-12, LYON 4-4: The No. 3-ranked Pilots (40-3) had to come back twice early in the opener, but put down the Scotts (29-17) in both sides of the doubleheader. In the nightcap, LSUS posted six runs in the third inning, including Jaylin Turner’s three-run homer, and posted back-to-back three-run frames after Lyon closed to 6-4.
LSU 8, UL LAFAYETTE 4: Shortstop Jordan Thompson’s two-run homer highlighted a five-run fourth inning that carried the Tigers (24-12) over the Ragin’ Cajuns (20-16) in the Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation Classic at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 13, GRAMBLING 11: In Nacogdoches, Texas, the Tigers’ two-game win streak ended Tuesday night in a slugfest. Grambling (15-21) battled back from a four-run deficit, tying the game at 11 in the sixth inning. But Stephen F. Austin (11-22) got a two-run double in its at bat and neither club scored in the final three frames.
SOFTBALL
LSU 7, MCNEESE 1: Airline product Raelin Chaffin came out of the bullpen to earn the win for No. 21 LSU (28-16) over McNeese State (26-17) at Cowgirl Diamond. Chaffin improved to 6-2 in the circle after throwing 5.2 innings, striking out two batters while scattering five hits and allowing only one run. LSU used a four-run fifth inning to extend its lead. Taylor Pleasants topped the Tigers with a 3-for-4 performance highlighted by two home runs that drove in four RBI.
OLE MISS 10, LOUISIANA TECH 0: Ole Miss used a 10-run third inning and run-ruled the visitors, who managed only a double by Brooke Diaz. Tech (29-17) and the Rebels (30-14) were scoreless before the Rebels plated 10 runs on 11 hits off three Techster pitchers.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 2, ULM 1: A walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 victory. One of the nation’s best hitters, Mia Davidson, hit her 18th home run of the year to send the home crowd out happy.
Photo by CHRIS REICH, Northwestern State