UCA takes opener over McNeese, 8-1

CONWAY, Arkansas – McNeese baseball will have to wait another day to qualify for the Southland Conference Tournament when on Thursday, the Cowboys dropped an 8-1 decision to Central Arkansas to open up a four-game series.

McNeese (26-27, 19-17 SLC) remains with 58 total points in the standings and will need to win at least one of the remaining three games or have Lamar lose one of two left against Incarnate Word in order to solidify a spot in next week’s tournament.

Central Arkansas (22-26, 17-20) stays alive in the race for the top eight with the win, giving it 54 points heading into Friday’s double-header which begins at 1 p.m.

In Thursday’s opener, Bears starting pitcher Mark Moyer went the full nine innings in picking up the win, holding the Cowboys to one run and eight hits while walking one and striking out seven.

McNeese wasn’t as lucky on the mound as the Cowboys sent six pitchers out with starter Bryson Hudgens taking the loss after allowing three runs, one earned, in four innings. He gave up eight hits, walked two and struck out one.

Offensively, left fielder Julian Gonzales continued his hot streak at the plate. The reigning national, conference and state hitter of the week went 2 for 3 in the box and walked in another at-bat. He’s now reached base in 16 of his last 19 plate appearances over the last five games. Third baseman Kade Morris added a 2 for 3 game.

UCA scored a run in the bottom of the first to go up 1-0 then added two runs in the fourth after capitalizing on a throwing error by Morris at third base which led to a 3-0 lead.

A two-run home run by UCA second baseman Benny Ayala increased the lead to 5-0 after five innings, and after the Cowboys got on the board with a run in the sixth, the Bears scored three more runs after the first four batters in the order reached on a walk and leading to an 8-1 lead.

The Cowboys are expected to start Will Dion on the mound in game one on Friday and Jonathan Ellison in the second part of the double-header.