FAYETTEVILLE — Things didn’t go too well for Louisiana Tech at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional this weekend.
Southeast Missouri State (35-26), the No. 4 seed in the regional tournament, scored seven points in the fourth to beat the Bulldogs, 9-3, on Saturday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The loss eliminated Louisiana Tech, which had lost 19-4 to Kansas State earlier in the day in a resumption of play from Friday night’s suspension. The Bulldogs (45-19), the region’s No. 2 seed, lost 28-7 in the two-game series in Fayetteville.
SEMO advanced to another consolation match on Sunday at 1 p.m., facing the loser of Saturday night’s game between Arkansas and Kansas State. The Razorbacks-Wildcats game is scheduled to air at 8:06 p.m. on ESPNU.
Louisiana Tech was trailing Kansas State 9-4 after the fifth inning when the game was halted just before midnight Friday. The 15-point loss was Louisiana Tech’s largest defeat of the season, surpassing its 11-1 loss to Louisiana State on March 19.
SEMO’s No. 8 hitter Ian Riley hit a two-run home run to right field with two outs in the bottom of the second inning to give SEMO a 2-0 lead. It was his fourth home run of the season.
It was a strong start to the day for Riley, who finished 2-for-4 with 4 RBI. After Louisiana Tech catcher Carson Evans hit a 427-foot solo home run, Riley hit a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth to give SEMO a 4-1 lead.
After Riley allowed a hit in the fourth inning, Louisiana Tech opted to use a relief pitcher. The Bulldogs replaced starter Reid Smith with All-Conference USA reliever Sam Brodersen, who struggled.
The batting order was replaced by Brooks Kettering, who smashed an RBI triple to left-center field. After consecutive walks, cleanup hitter Josh Cameron slammed a grand slam to center field to give SEMO a 9-1 lead.
Louisiana Tech got two runs back in the fifth inning on a double by Adarius Myers, who put Cole McConnell (walk) and Ethan Bates (single) on base with two outs, both of whom scored.
SEMO starting pitcher Brian Strange was replaced in the seventh inning. Strange gave the Redhawks a quality start, allowing seven hits and three runs over 6 2/3 innings, his longest outing of the season.
The Bulldogs had a chance to make it even closer in the eighth inning, but couldn’t capitalize on the bases-loaded, no-out situation. SEMO right-hander Peyton Lawrence, pitching for the second straight day, took over and recorded three straight outs on a strikeout by Kasten Fahr, a pop fly by Evans and a fly to center field by Dalton Davis to close out the inning.
Lawrence pitched SEMO’s final two innings, allowing no hits and striking out three batters faced, with 19 of his 28 pitches being strikes.
The Redhawks won their first NCAA postseason game since beating Alabama in 2002. SEMO’s tournament record is 2-7 so far.
