By Drew Parsley, Louisiana Tech Associate Director Strategic Communications
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Louisiana Tech (27-21, 11-10 CUSA) fell in a low-scoring affair Friday night, 4-2, to Jacksonville State (30-20, 12-10 CUSA) at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
Logan Forsythe made efficient work in his first start of the season, fanning a career-high nine strikeouts across 6 1/3 innings of work.
Jacksonville State opened up the scoring after a scoreless opening frame with a solo homer to take a 1-0 lead before scoring their second run of the inning with a two-out RBI single to center.
Once the game was through a pair of quiet innings in the third and fourth, the Gamecocks doubled their lead with a two-run homer in the fifth after the first two batters were retired in order. With the two outs in the fifth inning, Forsythe had retired nine-straight batters after the first two outs of the fifth.
Colton Coates drew a two-out walk in the ninth to give Tech a small glimpse of life trailing by four runs before Zeb Ruddell cut Jacksonville State’s lead in half with a two-run homer in the ninth inning, but the Gamecocks kept the Bulldogs off the board for the rest of the inning to take the series-opening victory.
Ruddell’s homer was his eighth of the year along with driving in his 26th and 27th RBI of the season.
Game 2 of the series is set for Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m. CT. The game can be streamed on ESPN+ or listened to on 97.7 FM or the LA Tech Athletics app for the radio broadcast.