Controversial ending in nightcap sets up Demons sweep of Cowboys on Saturday

NATCHITOCHES – A controversial call in the bottom of the ninth inning took what appeared to be a win away from McNeese in the second game of Saturday’s double-header against Northwestern State, and two innings later, the Demons walked off with a 6-5 win to capture the Southland Conference series three games to one.

With McNeese leading 4-3 in the ninth and the tying run on third base, Cowboy relief pitcher Christian Vega appeared to have struck out a Demon batter swinging for the third out to capture the win. But as the Cowboys emptied the dugout to celebrate the win, the third base umpire ruled the batter foul-tipped the ball and extending the at-bat.

On the next pitch, Vega threw a wild pitch that scored the tying run and sent the game to extra innings for the second straight game.

After a scoreless 10th by both teams, McNeese went up 5-4 in the 11th when Peyton Harden reached on a bunt single then later scored on a Nate Fisbeck sacrifice fly.

The Demons loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 11th by taking advantage of two McNeese fielding errors. Hunter Reeves then relieved Vega and hit the first batter he faced to score the tying run. The next batter singled through the left side to score the winner and give the Demons a 6-5 win.

https://mobile.twitter.com/NSUDemonsBSB/status/1391221611722911747

That heartbreaking loss came after NSU scored the game-winner in the 10th inning for a 4-3 win in the day’s opening game.

The losses drop the Cowboys to 22-26 overall and 15-16 in league play while NSU improves to 25-21 and 19-13.

In the first game, Harden led the offense with a 3 for 4 game with three runs batted in. He added two hits in the nightcap along with Clayton Rasbeary and Fisbeck adding two hits apiece.

Vega was dealt the loss after he gave up three runs, one earned, in 3 1/3 innings pitched. Starter Ty Abraham lasted six innings and giving up two runs on four hits with four strike outs and no walks.

In game one, starter Jonathan Ellison sent six innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits with two walks and three strike outs. Cameron Foster took the loss after he gave up two runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Tied 2-2 in game one heading to the ninth, the Cowboys grabbed a 3-2 lead on a Harden RBI double but the Demons tied the game on a two-out single by Jake Haze.

McNeese threatened in the 10th when Tré Obregon and Jake Dickerson hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning and had runners on second and third with one out when the Cowboys popped out to short stop and struck out to end the inning.

NSU had two batters walk in the bottom of the 10th, and with two outs, Jeffrey Elkins singled in the winning run to give the Demons a 4-3 win.

McNeese will return home next weekend when it hosts Nicholls in the final four games of the season in Joe Miller Ballpark.

Northwestern State 4-6, McNeese 3-5
Game 1 (10 innings)
McN 010 000 101 0 – 3 6 4
NSU 100 001 001 1 – 4 7 1
W – Drayton Brown (2-2). L – Cameron Foster (0-2). 2B – McN, Payton Harden. NSU, Daunte Stuart. 3B – McN, Clayton Rasbeary. Highlights: McN, Harden 3-4, 2B, 3 RBIs; NSU, Stuart 2-3, 2B, RBI.

Game 2 (11 innings)
McN 010 000 210 01 – 5 10 3
NSU 001 000 201 02 – 6 7 1
W – Cameron Taylor (2-0). L – Christian Vega (1-5). 2B – McN, Clayton Rasbeary, Tre Obregon, Jake Dickerson, Peyton Johnson. NSU, Marshall Skinner, Tyler Smith. HR – NSU, Kendall Foster (4). Highlights: McN, Payton Harden 2-6; Rasbeary 2-5, 2B; Nate Fisbeck 2-5, RBI. NSU, Smith 2-3, 2B; Foster 2-4, HR, 3 RBIs.
Records: McNeese 22-26, 15-16; Northwestern State 25-21, 19-13.