McNeese no-hits Prairie View in run-rule win

LAKE CHARLES – McNeese starting pitcher Derrick Cherry threw six hitless and scoreless innings while allowing one walk and Ty Abraham threw two perfect innings as the duo combined to no-hit Prairie View in a 10-0, 8-inning win on Saturday afternoon.

It was the sixth no-hitter in school history and first since February 2018 when Adam Goree and Cayne Ueckert combined to no-hit Texas State in a 1-0 game.

Cherry, who improved to 2-0 on the year, was perfect through five innings before walking a batter. But one out later, he got the Panthers to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to keep the minimum faced intact. Abraham finished off the no-hitter by striking out three of the six batters faced as McNeese carried an 8-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth.

There, Braley Hollins homered over the left field wall to score two runs and end the game by way of the 10-run rule.

McNeese (10-5) will go for the series sweep on Sunday beginning at 1 and looking to capture its second straight weekend sweep. Prairie View falls to 2-14.

Shortstop Josh Leslie had a grand day at the plate, hitting two doubles and a single while knocking in four runs. Left fielder Cooper Hext hit his fourth home run of the season when leading off the bottom of the first inning. It was his second, first inning lead-off homer of the season. He also scored three times. He finished the day 3-for-4 with two RBIs and scored three times.

The Cowboys finished with 11 hits in the game.

McNeese has now won six straight games at home and nine of its last 11 overall.

The Cowboys have outscored Prairie View 19-0 over the last two games and out-hit the Panthers 21-2.