RUSTON, La. - Alex Gonzalez struck out 11 but picked up the loss, while the bats went cold in Ruston, La., on Friday night, as the Oral Roberts baseball team dropped its first road game of the season against Louisiana Tech, 2-0.

Gonzalez (0-2) got the start on the mound, but much like his opening day start, got little support from the offense. The junior threw seven innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs.

Earning the win for the Bulldogs was starting pitcher Phil Maton (1-0) with 11 strikeouts in just 5.2 innings, but also allowed five free passes. Overall, Golden Eagle batters went down swinging 16 times in the contest.

One struggle the Golden Eagles had through the first four games was walking opposing batters. The tandem of Gonzalez and Nathan Garza, who entered in the eighth for the final two innings, only allowed one walk each.

Nate Goro continues to show his offensive improvement from a year ago. With the Golden Eagles down 2-0 in the top of the eighth, Goro doubled to left field on the first pitch for his third hit of the ball game.

A senior from Wildwood, Mo., Goro improved his average to .526 in 2013 with ten hits.

Fellow senior Kevin Cho had the other Golden Eagle hit in the loss with a bunt single to lead off the third inning. He was eventually stranded at third.

In the bottom of the first, the Bulldogs quickly took a 1-0 lead after a Ryan Gebhardt started the inning with a double to left, scoring two batters later on a single off the bat of Taylor Terrarsas.

The Bulldogs put the leadoff batter on yet again in the home half of the sixth inning with a single from Tyler Ervine. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Austin Hedges, then advancing to third on a groundout, Ervine was driven in on a double to left from Bre'shon Kimbell.

Fortunately, the bleeding quickly stopped as Gonzalez struck out the next batter, Colby Johnson, to end the inning.

The Golden Eagles (1-4) and Bulldogs (2-3) will get back at it again tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m.