Cowboys defeat Wildcats for second program Big Ten series victory

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Late heroics in the eighth inning initiated by Elliot Hebert, a senior, put McNeese baseball atop Northwestern for the second day in a row, claiming a 6-3 win at Joe Miller Ballpark Sunday afternoon. McNeese improved to 11-10 on the season as Northwestern fell to 10-11 with both team starting conference play this upcoming weekend.

With the series clincher, the Cowboys earned their second-ever series victory over a Big Ten opponent, the last coming in 2000 against Minnesota and first under head coach Justin Hill.

“We’ve had a chance to play some good programs and that’s a good team over there that have played a really tough schedule,” said Hill. “To win a series after losing on Friday night starts to tell you a little bit about the character of our team.”

Northwestern plated the first run of the day in the top of the first before a Cowboy response came in the fifth with two runs for the lead. Senior Braden Duhon laid down a base hit on a bunt, ultimately leading to juniors Conner Westenburg and Simon Larranage plating runs. The Wildcats tied up the ballgame in the top of the seventh to challenge the Cowboys.

McNeese responded with an enormous eighth inning by plating four for the ultimate victory. Redshirt freshman Easton Dowell and senior Cooper Hext scored the first two runs to put the Cowboys ahead by taking advantage of an error following a fielder’s choice by Hebert. Redshirt senior Chase Keeton further cemented the lead on a sacrifice fly by Westenburg to make it 5-2.

Senior Braden Duhon doubled in the bottom of the eighth to drive in Hebert for the fourth and final run of the game for the Pokes. Northwestern scored one final run on the last play of the game.

Hext finished the game 3-for-4 with a run scored to mark his sixth multi-hit game of the season. Senior Braden Duhon also earned multiple hits with two while four other members of the squad collected a hit.

“Each game I go in there with the same mentality of see ball, hit ball. If if fouls, just keep swinging,” said Hext. “We have a great team and need to keep stacking the wins and build momentum heading into conference.”

McNeese returns to Joe Miller Ballpark Tuesday evening against Mississippi Valley State with first pitch slated for 6 p.m.

Pitching Appearances
Alexis Gravel: 4.0 IP, 4 K’s, 0 H, 4 BB, 0 ER
Kainin Morrow: 2.2 IP, 4 K’s, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 ER
Ty Abraham: 0.2 IP, 0 K, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 ER
JT Moeller: 1.2 IP, 2 K’s, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, Win

McNeese Notes
– Westenburg extended his hitting streak to five games.
– Elliot Hebert grew his hitting streak to four.
– Cooper Hext had his sixth multi-hit game of the season.
– Second program Big Ten weekend series victory.
– First Big Ten series victory for Coach Hill.
– Third weekend series win of the 2024 campaign.