McNeese splits games with ULM in Sunday doubleheader

MONROE, LA- The McNeese Cowboys baseball team finished up their three-game series on Sunday afternoon against the UL-Monroe Warhawks, winning two of the three games at Warhawk Field.

Before the two teams could play game three, they first had to complete game two by playing the final three innings after the game was suspended Saturday night due to fog.

The Warhawks would win game two 10-5 and then both teams would get a 30-minute break before first pitch of game three.

In the second game, the Cowboys would have one of their best overall games for hitting and pitching combined. McNeese only threw two pitchers, both went for four plus innings and a combined two runs on five hits.

Offensively five Cowboys had a multi-hit game, and three of those five had multiple RBI’s.

With the two teams splitting today’s games, the Cowboys improve to 10-6 on the year while the Warhawks improve to 6-9.

The Cowboys will be back on the field on Tuesday night to take on the Tulane Green Wave in New Orleans, LA. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

KEY INNINGS
1st | Junior second baseman Nate Fisbeck would lead off the inning with a single, followed by a single up the middle by Payton Harden. With runners on the corners, senior Shane Selman would hit a two RBI-double single in to left center field to give McNeese the early lead. Selman would then advance to second on a wild pitch, tag up and take third on a fly out by junior Clayton Rasbeary, and then score on a groundout to the ride side of the infield to give the Cowboys a 3-0 lead after the first.

3rd | In the third, Rasbeary would reach base on a hit-by-pitch, followed by senior third baseman Carson Maxwell hitting a double in to right field to give the Cowboys two runners in scoring position. Next batter, junior Jake Dickerson would then draw a walk to load the bases for junior Brett Whelton, who would get the RBI base-on-balls to extend the McNeese lead to 4-0.

4th | Warhawks scored one run on one hit in the bottom of the fourth to being the score to 4-1.

5th | ULM scored another run to close the Cowboys lead down to two runs, 4-2 after the 5th inning.

7th | In the top of the inning, Maxwell would lead the inning off with a solo home run to left field to push the Cowboys lead back up to 5-2 after the seventh.

8th | Fisbeck lead the inning off with a hit-by-pitch and then would get moved over by a sacrifice bunt by Harden. Selman would then come up and hit a single in to right field to put runners on the corners with Clayton Rasbeary coming to the plate. Rasbeary would then double down the right field line for an RBI-double. That would bring up Maxwell with runners on second and third, he would draw a walk to load the bases. With the bases loaded, Dickerson would hit an RBI-single up the middle of the infield to keep the bases loaded. Sophomore Julian Gonzales would then come to the plate and hit a two RBI-single through the ride side of the infield to push the Cowboys lead to the final 10-2.

MCNEESE NOTES
Offense:
The Cowboys would be led offensively by Jake Dickerson going 3-for-5 with one double and one RBI.

Carson Maxwell and Shane Selman both went 2-for-5 with two RBI’s, with Maxwell having a double and a home run.

Pitching:
Senior right-handed pitcher Cayne Ueckert (2-3) would get the start in game three Sunday afternoon, going 4.2 innings, giving up two runs on three hits, five walks, and two strikeouts to pick up his second win of the season.

Jonathan Ellison would come in to relieve Ueckert in the fifth inning and go on to throw 4.1 innings, give up no runs on two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts.

ON DECK
The Cowboys will travel to New Orleans to face-off against Tulane on Tuesday, March 12. After that game they will host the Lamar Cardinals for their Southland Conference opener in a three-game series March 15-17.

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