McNeese triumphant over Southeastern in series opener, 9-8

LAKE CHARLES, La. – After a highly contested home run by Chase Keeton to take the lead, McNeese Baseball (20-20, 4-9 SLC) defeated Southeastern (21-20, 3-10 SLC) 9-8 at Joe Miller Ballpark in a Friday night thriller.

Keeton, a redshirt senior, hit the ball over the wall in left center field for a two-run bomb that was initially thought to be a double. After the umpires reviewed the play, the home run was called to give the Pokes an 9-8 advantage, ultimately clinching the game.

“It’s huge to get momentum going into the rest of the weekend,” said Keeton. “Stacking together good at bats. Even though some innings we didn’t score, we’re still putting pressure on the defense and the pitcher.”

After facing a three-run disadvantage, McNeese wiped the slate clean in the third on a three-run double hit to left center by senior Braden Duhon. The Lions scored two in the fourth and three in the fifth for an 8-3 lead.

The Cowboys didn’t back down in the face of adversity as they plated four runs in the bottom of the fifth, bringing the game within one before the home run gave the Pokes their 20th win.

“You have to experience things as a group to learn how to win,” said head coach Justin Hill. “Sometimes you think it has to work out exactly as you plan it to be successful, but being adaptable is a trait that champions have.”

Coach Hill collected his 321st victory at the helm for the Cowboys which propels him to solely take eighth in all-time victories by a Southland coach. He formerly sat tied with former Southeastern skipper Matt Riser.

Poke Nation and the Lions return to the diamond Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. for the second game of the weekend series.

Pitching Appearances
JT Moeller: 3.1 IP, 4 K’s, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 ER
Brian Shadrick: 0.2 IP, 0 K, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 ER
Max Swenson: 1.0 IP, 0 K, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 ER
Ty Abraham: 2.0 IP, 2 K’s, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, Win
Cameron LeJeune: 2.0 IP, 1 K, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, Save

McNeese Notes
• Moeller made his first start of the season, 19th appearance of the season.
• 32nd game with 6+ hits out of 40 played.
• Multi-hit games: Cooper Hext (16th), Conner Westenburg (13th), Braden Duhon (9th), Peyton LeJeune (7th)
• Braden Duhon tied his season high for RBIs at three.
• Coach Hill moves to 8th all-time in victories by Southland coaches at 321.