RUSTON, La. (Interstat) — Declan Dahl pitched five innings of two-hit ball and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs edged the Sam Houston Bearkats 2-1 on Thursday night at J. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park in a Conference USA contest.

Dahl struck out seven and allowed one earned run to earn the win. The Bulldogs improved to 32-22 overall. The Bearkats fell to 23-31.

The game was scoreless until the top of the third inning, when Sam Houston center fielder Jeric Curtis hit a solo home run to deep right field off Dahl to give the Bearkats a 1-0 lead. It was one of only three hits Sam Houston managed in the game.

Louisiana Tech shortstop Casey McCoy answered with a solo homer of his own to start the bottom of the fifth inning, a deep drive to center field that tied the game 1-1. McCoy finished 1 for 3 with two RBIs.

The Bulldogs took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth. Wesley Scott led off with a double down the right-field line off Sam Houston reliever Connor Mondey. After Mondey was replaced by Jonathan Anders, Patterson laid down a bunt single that moved Scott to third. McCoy then lifted a sacrifice fly to left center, scoring Scott to make it 2-1.

Sam Houston threatened in the top of the sixth when it put two runners on with one out against Louisiana Tech reliever Luke Nichols, but Nichols struck out two straight batters to escape the inning. Nichols pitched two innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.

The Bearkats mounted one final challenge in the top of the ninth against Louisiana Tech closer Thomas Allen, who had entered in the eighth. Allen struck out Sam Houston’s Baker and pinch hitter Blackman and then fanned Alvord to end the game. Allen pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts.

Sam Houston starter Ryan Peterson threw four shutout innings, allowing no hits and striking out three. Anders followed with three scoreless innings, also striking out two. Mondey took the loss, allowing two runs — both earned — on two hits in one inning.

Louisiana Tech’s Dahl improved his strong recent stretch. In his previous two starts, he had allowed just one earned run over 11 innings combined, with 12 strikeouts. On Thursday, he worked around two walks and kept the Bearkats off balance.

The Bulldogs’ offense produced seven hits. Scott went 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Second baseman Colton Coates added two hits. McCoy’s two RBIs proved decisive.

Sam Houston’s only other hit came from Baker, who singled in the fourth inning. Curtis struck out twice in addition to his home run.

The game featured strong pitching on both sides. The Bearkats’ three-man combination of Peterson, Anders and Mondey limited Louisiana Tech to just two runs after the first four innings were scoreless. But the Bulldogs capitalized in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring single runs in each frame.

Louisiana Tech’s bullpen of Nichols and Allen combined for four scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and striking out six while walking none.

The Bearkats had entered the game having lost their previous contest to Houston Christian 4-3 on Tuesday. They had won four of their last six before that. The Bulldogs came in off a series loss at Liberty, but had won 7 of their previous 10 overall.

The two teams will meet again Friday and Saturday to conclude the regular season series.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Louisiana Tech 6, Sam Houston 4, and Interstat’s ELO system had given Louisiana Tech a 69.90 percent probability to win.