Cowboys fall to Cajuns at home in midweek, 16-10

LAKE CHARLES – The McNeese Cowboys baseball team lost a heartbreaker to UL-Lafayette, 16-10, on a cold Wednesday night at Joe Miller Ballpark.

The Cowboys would be down 11-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, but would explode for eight runs to cut the lead to 11-9. The first seven batters of the inning would reach base and score before the Cowboys surrendered their first out.

After a run in the bottom of the eighth they would head into the ninth only down two, a deficit they have over-come twice this year, in comeback efforts against Houston and Nicholls, but fell just short tonight.

The loss snaps a five-game win streak for the Cowboys as they fall to 8-5, while
the Cajuns improve to 5-7 in the season.

The Cowboys will be back on the field on Friday night to take on the UL-Monroe Warwhawks in Monroe, LA.

KEY INNINGS
1st | the Cajuns would take a 1-0 lead after scoring one run on one hit and strand two base runners

2nd | The Cajuns extend their lead to 2-0, capitalizing on a McNeese error.

3rd | The Cajuns score three runs on a 3-run home run to extend their lead in the top half of the inning. In the bottom half, the Cowboys would plate their first run. After Reid Bourque lead the inning off with a walk, senior Shane Selman two batters later would hit a screaming line drive down left field line to for an RBI-double to make it 5-1 after three.

5th | The Cajuns score one run on two hits and a hit-by-pitch

6th | In the top half, the Cajuns would tack on five more runs. In the bottom half, the Cowboys would respond in a HUGE way scoring eight total runs on only four hits and six walks drawn. The first seven batters of the inning would reach base and eventually score. The inning as a whole took a total of one hour and four minutes and pulled the Cowboys within two, 11-9 after six.

7th | In the seventh, the Cajuns would plate a run after a single, stolen base, and two wild pitches to move the lead to 12-9.

8th | In the eighth, the Cowboys would score one run after Clayton Rasbeary hit a double down right field line, advanced to third on a single from Carson Maxwell, then scored from a single by Bourque to make it 12-10 after eight.

9th | Cajuns would score four runs in the ninth to seal their win, 16-10.
MCNEESE NOTES
Offense:
Senior third baseman Carson Maxwell would lead the Cowboys offensively, going 2-for-5 with a triple, one run, and three RBIs.

Senior Shane Selman also had a good night, going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, and two base on balls.

Pitching:
Junior right-handed pitcher Hunter Reeves (1-1) would get the start, going 1.1 innings, giving up two hits, two runs, and one earned run.

Brody Strahan would then come in for one inning of relief in the second and give up no runs, no hits and strikeout one.

Zach Rider would come in the game to relieve Strahan and pitch 3.0 innings, give up five runs on six hits, and can two batters.

Peyton McLemore and Daniel Hecker would combine to finish the sixth, and Hecker would throw a total 1.2 innings.

Brad Kincaid, Aidan Anderson, and Brett Payne would combine to throw for the final 2.0 innings. Finishing with a combined one hit for four runs, three walks, and one strikeout.

ON DECK
The Cowboys will be on the road for a four-game stretch, starting with a three-game series in Monroe taking on the Warhawks of UL-Monroe over the weekend and then head to New Orleans to face-off against Tulane on Tuesday, March 12.

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