RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech takes game one of the series with Rice 5-3 at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park on Friday night.
 
LA Tech (21-10, 7-3 C-USA) defeats Rice (9-22, 3-7 C-USA) 5-3 as Cade Gibson proves strong once again and Jorge Corona launches a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth.
 
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first as Walker Burchfield belted a three-run homer well over the left field wall.
 
Gibson was outstanding as he took the nod in his first Friday night start as a Bulldog. The left-hander tossed six shutout innings, striking out a career-high 10 batters, walking four and allowing just three hits. Gibson earned a no decision.
 
In the seventh, Rice plated a three-spot on a Jack Riedel two-run homer and an Aaron Smigelski RBI double down the right field line with two-outs.
 
LA Tech was held scoreless from the second inning up until the eighth inning when Jorge Corona got into a pitch driving it over the right center field wall for the lead, 5-3.
 
Kyle Crigger entered the ball game in the seventh to calm the storm. Crigger went the distance earning the win while punching out four and not allowing a run. The Bulldog closer has appeared in five straight games totaling 8.1 innings, nine strikeouts, no runs and only five hits.
 
NOTABLES

• Gibson breaks his career-high in strikeouts with 10
• Gibson has not allowed a run in 11 straight innings
• Four Bulldogs with two-hit days
• Burchfield 2-for-4 with three-run home run (5)
• Corona 2-for-4 with go-ahead two-run home run (6)
• Young with 14 multi-hit games
• Crigger earns the win tossing the final three innings

 
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Lane Burroughs
 
"Proud of our guys. It's Friday night. It's college baseball so you have to fight. Rice had a really good arm on the mound. He's a graduate transfer. We actually faced him when he was still at Pepperdine. I thought his stuff was really good. He backed up a breaking ball and Burchfield jumped on it for the three-run homer."
 
"I thought Gibson was outstanding. Uncharacteristically walked four guys, but 10 strikeouts and he got the pitch count up with the strikeouts and walks so in the seventh we had to make a move. We went all in with Crigger. All chips on the table and you need to win. He's probably not available the rest of the weekend. I am proud of our guys again for finding a way to win a game. Burchfield and Corona with big home runs. We are not playing great right now, but our guys didn't throw their hands up, they stayed with it and grinded it out to come out with a win."
 
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will host the Rice Owls for game two of the series Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
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