McNeese drops second straight to UIW

LAKE CHARLES – McNeese’s bats came alive Saturday afternoon for 13 total hits and five runs, but came up just short against the UIW Cardinals, falling 6-5 in 10 innings in the second game of a three-game Southland Conference series at Joe Miller Ballpark.

Starting pitcher Jonathan Ellison (1-1) struggled early in his third start on the season. Ellison gave up three runs on three hits in only 2.2 innings of work before being relieved by senior Peyton McLemore in the third.

UIW (14-9, 4-4 SLC) scored a run in the second and two in the third to take a quick 3-0 lead over the Cowboys.

McNeese (13-10, 2-3 SLC) would plate its first run in the fourth and then explode in the sixth inning for four more and take a 5-4 lead.

They started the sixth with five straight hits, all of which coming from the bottom half of the order who finished the day with 10 of the 13 Cowboys hits and all of their RBI’s.

The ensuing inning, Aidan Anderson would come in to start the seventh and attempt to close out the game for the Cowboys.

Anderson would hold off the Cardinals until the top of the ninth when he would surrender a solo home run with one out to tie the game and send it into extra innings.

In extras, Anderson would once again surrender a solo home run to give the Cardinals the lead and then be relieved by Will Dion who got the Cowboys out of the inning.

In the bottom half of the inning the Cowboys would go three-up-three-down to end the game.

The series will conclude on Sunday afternoon at 1 with McNeese throwing senior Cayne Ueckert in his fifth start of the season.

KEY INNINGS

2nd | The Cardinals would score one run off a solo home run to left field to take a 1-0 lead.

3rd | Incarnate Word would extend their lead to 3-0 in the top half of the inning on one hit, three walks and a hit-by-pitch.

4th | After holding the Cardinals scoreless in the top half, the Cowboys would put their first run on the board. Carson Maxwell lead off the inning with a walk, followed by a double by Jacob Stracner down the left field line to put runners on second and third with only one out for senior Dustin Duhon. Duhon would then hit a weak line drive into left field to score Maxwell from third and advance Stracner to third. Duhon and Stracner would get stranded on base to end the inning with the score 3-1.

6th | UIW would extend their lead by one after a triple and sacrifice fly to make it 4-1. In the bottom half, the Cowboys would lead the inning off with three straight singles by Maxwell, Dickerson, and Stracner. Next batter Duhon would hit a bases clearing double down the right field line to tie the game at four runs and advance to third on the throw home. Bourque would then hit a single into shallow center field to give the Cowboys the lead 5-4 after the sixth.

9th | The Cardinals would tie the game up on a solo home run and force extra innings.

10th | UIW would lead off the inning with another solo home run and go on to win 6-5.

MCNEESE NOTES
Offense:
The Cowboys were led offensively by Senior Dustin Duhon Saturday afternoon. Duhon finished 3-for-5 from the plate with two singles, a double, one run, and four RBI’s.

Four other Cowboys would join Duhon with a multi-hit game, them being Shane Selman (2-for-5), Carson Maxwell (2-for-4), Jake Dickerson (2-for-4), and Jacob Stracner (2-for-3).

Pitching:
Junior left-handed pitcher Jonathan Ellison would get the start in Saturday afternoon’s game, going 2.2 innings, giving up three runs on three hits, and strikeout five batters.

Senior Peyton McLemore would take over in the third with the bases loaded and two outs and get out the inning with a groundout to Maxwell. McLemore would finish with 3.1 innings, give up only one run on one hit, and strike out four.

Senior Aidan Anderson would relieve McLemore to start the seventh inning and go on to throw the rest of the game. Anderson would finish with 3.0 innings pitched, two runs given up on five hits, struck out two, and got his second loss of the season.

Will Dion would then come in to get the Cowboys out of the top of the 10th, pitching 1.0 inning and picking up one strikeout.

The Cowboys would hit double digit strikeouts as a pitching staff once again, this time a combined 12 strikeouts.

ON DECK
The Cowboys will conclude their series against Incarnate Word in Joe Miller Ballpark on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Cowboys will then be on the road on Tuesday to face the LSU Tigers at Alex Box Stadium.

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