Baseball – Offense ignites McNeese in 16-6, 10-run rule win over LSUA

LAKE CHARLES – A five-run fourth inning that saw McNeese get five consecutive extra-base hits and was a single shy of hitting for the cycle in the frame helped lead the Cowboys to a 16-6, 10-run rule win over LSU-Alexandria Tuesday night in college baseball action.

The win was the fourth straight for the Cowboys (9-6) as they improve to 9-0 at home on the season. LSUA fell to 8-12.

Second baseman Nate Fisbeck and left fielder Julian Gonzales posted perfect performances at the plate. Fisbeck finished the night 3 for 3 with two walks, two runs scored and five RBIs. He had two of McNeese’s season-high seven doubles while also hitting a home run. Gonzales was also 3 for 3 at the plate with a walk, three runs scored, two RBIs and a triple.

As a team, McNeese recorded a season-high in runs as well as with 16 hits.

McNeese got the bats going early but when trailing 6-5 in the fourth, the offense took off.

After Payton Harden, who finished the night 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored, grounded out for the first out, Clayton Rasbeary (1 for 4, RBI, R) doubled to left field. Fisbeck followed with a two-run homer to put the Cowboys on top 7-6. Jake Dickerson and Carson Carpenter, who was making his first start, each doubled, Carpenter’s hit driving in Dickerson to make it an 8-6 game. Gonzales followed with an RBI triple to make it 9-6 and the fifth straight extra-base hit.

The Cowboys added four more runs in the sixth to build a 14-6 lead with two of those runs coming off a Fisbeck double who then attempted to stretch it to a triple but was thrown out for the third out.

Reserves came up big in the bottom of the seventh when Cooper Hext started off the inning with a single through the right side, then stole second. Carpenter followed with a walk and the runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch.

Following two outs, Matt Keller delivered with a two-run pinch-hit to score Hext and Carpenter to give the Cowboys the 10-run rule win.

Zack May (1-0) got the win out of the bullpen after he threw two innings and did not allow a hit or run. It was his first appearance of the season.

McNeese got a run in the bottom of the first after Harden led off with a double then scored on a Fisbeck one-out double.

The Generals used the long ball in the top of the top of the second to score five runs and grab a 5-1 lead. Catcher Louis Morgan got things going with a lead-off, solo home run then after an RBI double by first baseman Brant Leslie made it a 2-1 General lead, Kobe Baker hit a three-run homer to put his team up 5-1.

McNeese came back with two runs in each the bottom of the second and third innings to cut the deficit to 6-5.

In the second, the Cowboys got RBI singles by catcher Ben David and Harden to close the gap to 5-3. LSUA added a run in the third on a Leslie Brant solo homer to put the Generals up 6-3, but in the bottom of the third, a double by Dickerson helped ignite a two-run inning and pulled the Cowboys to within 6-5.

Leslie led LSUA with a 2 for 3 performance at the plate.

McNeese will return to Southland Conference play on Friday when it visits HBU for a four game series beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday.