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'It's the moment': Wells' walkoff homer lifts LA Tech over Little Rock

Cory Diaz
The News Star

RUSTON -- If he speaks honestly, Hunter Wells hasn't exactly pinpointed what it is about that last at-bat in a game.

When asked that question after more game-winning dramatics from the junior second baseman cranking the walkoff solo home run to straightaway center field to give No. 18 Louisiana Tech the victory over Little Rock, 5-4, Tuesday night at J.C. Love Field, he opened his answer with a shrug of the shoulders. 

"To be honest, I really don't know. It's the moment," Wells said after the game-winning hit. "I love being up at the plate, I want to get a hit and I want to get us the W. I've just connected twice.

"Off the bat, I don't hit many home runs to begin with so I'm always taking off hard. Once I saw the guys standing at the wall looking up, I knew it was gone."

Wells' previous walkoff home run was also a solo home run that he pulled down the right field line that walked Tech off, 5-4, against Arkansas State on March 2.

Louisiana Tech junior second baseman Hunter Wells (9) swings at a pitch against Little Rock Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at J.C. Love Field.

The walkoff home runs and consistent success at the plate galvanizes Bulldogs head coach Lane Burroughs and offensive assistant coach Travis Creel. But Wells' individualistic preparation for opposing pitchers makes his offensive productivity that much more impressive. 

"He has a knack for putting the barrel on the baseball. He kind of does his own thing. We stay away from him," Burroughs said. "Guys like that, it's kinda funny. He doesn't want to know guys' velocity. We watch video of pitchers before every game, the guy we're going to face and he doesn't want to see it. He's in his own deal. But hey, he gets results.

"We talk about running to the moment, some people run to the moment, some people run away from it. Hunter is one of those guys he's running to the moment. What a big moment tonight."

The moment was the final out of the bottom of the ninth, after Little Rock right-handed sidewinder reliever Zach Ours had retired 12 straight Tech batters. The solo homer from Wells was the lone hit Ours gave up. 

Louisiana Tech (28-12) opened the game hot offensively with leadoff man sophomore Taylor Young and senior Mason Mallard each hitting singles before a double from junior centerfielder Parker Bates handing his team its first lead of the game, 2-1. Bates scored later on a wild pitch from Trojan starter Aaron Funk, extending the lead to 3-1 in the first.

Through 40 games in 2019, Tech has plated 38 runs in the opening frame while the starting arms have only allowed 20 runs.

But from there, Little Rock's arms-by-committed approach quieted Tech's bats, giving up just three hits and one run, a two-out RBI single from senior Mason Robinson scoring Mallard in the fifth that retook the lead, 4-3, for the Bulldogs. Trojans rolled Pablo Ortiz, Dillon Delgadillo, who pitched the longest of the team's first four pitchers at 1.2 innings, and Ethan Daily before settling on Ours.

"They pitched us really well. When they brought the sidewinder in, we're pretty right-handed so it's not a good matchup for us. Our guys just hung in there," Burroughs said. 

"You got to win these games, it's going to be a battle, it's a fight, it ain't going to be easy. That's a good team over there, they've had some big wins so it's huge for us to get this win. I didn't feel any panic after they tied us a couple of times, I didn't feel the guys panic."

Bulldogs starter junior Kyle Griffen (7-2) got off to a slow start, walking Little Rock leadoff hitter Christian Reyes in four pitches to open the game and ultimately gave up that run in the first. The left-hander sidewinder settled in, navigating three straight hitless frames before giving up two hits and two walks that results in two runs that tied the game, 3-3, in the top of the fifth.

The rest of the way, Tech relievers Bryce Fagan, Jonathan Fincher and Tyler Follis did not surrender a hit, the run Little Rock scored in the seventh came off a sacrifice RBI from Reyes after a walk.

"Fagan was really good, he was throwing harder than he's thrown all year. He gave us a chance, he kept us in the ballgame when our pen is kind of depleted with (senior closer Braxton Smith) down," Burroughs said. "Fincher was really good, his foot's been bothering him and I thought he gave us a chance. 

"Tyler, probably the best he's been all year. Those are stressful pitches, he was in a stressful situation and a big-time pitch he made to (Reyes) to punch him out (for the final out in the top of the ninth). That was huge."

The Bulldogs travel to Lake Charles tomorrow to face McNeese State, first pitch slated for 6 p.m.

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