Cowboys slug their way to a 7-6 win over Houston

LAKE CHARLES – A Mitchell Rogers solo home run and Joe Provenzano’s three-run blast later that inning, fueled a four-run sixth inning to lead McNeese to a 7-6 mid-week baseball win over Houston here Tuesday night.

The win was the third-straight for the Cowboys as they improve to 5-11 overall. Houston, who defeated McNeese 13-9 last Wednesday in Houston, fell to 8-8 on the year.

“This was a good win for us,” said head coach Justin Hill. “They (Houston) scored single runs in the first five innings but was nothing more.

“I thought Aidan coming in and getting out of the bases loaded jam was a big momentum swing for us.”

Trailing 5-2 going into the sixth, Houston loaded the bases with two outs when Anderson entered the game. He got the next batter to strikeout swinging to strand three runners and keep the Cougars from causing more damage.

In the bottom of the sixth, McNeese’s bats came alive.

Rogers led things off with a home run over the score board in left field to cut the gap to 5-3. Carson Maxwell followed with a walk and after a Cougar pitching change, Reid Bourque singled up the middle. Maxwell was then thrown out at third on a grounder by Shane Selman, then Provenzano put the Cowboys up 6-5 with his homer to right-center field.

McNeese added another run in the seventh inning to go up 7-5 after pinch-hitter Julian Gonzales reached base after the Houston right fielder dropped a fly ball. Gonzales was trucking it the entire time and ended on second and then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Maxwell single.

Houston threatened in the top of the ninth, scoring an unearned run off reliever Grant Anderson who go the final out by way of a grounder with runners on first and second.

Aidan Anderson (1-4) picked up his first win of the season while just throwing one-third of an inning while his brother, Grant, notched his second save of the season.

McNeese’s bullpen combined to throw 5.1 innings and allowed no earned runs and just four hits with nine strikeouts. Adam Goree started the game and lasted 3.2 innings and gave up four runs and seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks.

Selman picked up two of the Cowboys’ eight hits after he finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI.

The Cowboys will return to Southland Conference action this weekend when they visit Stephen F. Austin beginning at 6:30 on Friday.