ULM wins series opener at McNeese, 8-2

LAKE CHARLES – McNeese Baseball dropped game one of their three game series with an 8-2 loss to the ULM Warhawks Friday night at Joe Miller Ballpark.

The difference in the game came in the fifth inning. With the game at a score of 3-2, the Cowboys surrendered five runs on one hit, five walks, and one hit-by-pitch to bring the score to the eventual final 8-2.

After the fifth, the Warhawks were stifled offensively, but the Cowboys were unable to bring across runs to try and mount a comeback.

The Pokes will be back in action tomorrow night for game two of the series against ULM with first pitch being at 6 p.m.

KEY INNINGS
1st | In the top of the inning, the Warhawks struck first, scoring one run on two hits to take a 1-0 lead after the first.

3rd | In the top of the inning, ULM scored one run on a solo home run to extend their lead to 2-0.
In the bottom of the inning, after back-to-back line outs, Payton Harden reached on a single in to left field and then made it to third on Reid Bourque’s single in to center field. During Jake Dickerson’s at-bat, Bourque enticed a pickle and Harden stole home to plate the Cowboys first run and make it 2-1 after the third.

4th | In the top of the inning, the Warhawks extended their lead back to two after scoring one run on two hits.
In the bottom of the inning, Clayton Rasbeary led off with a solo homer to right field that went onto the track to make it 3-2 after the fourth inning.

5th | In the top of the inning, ULM extended their lead to 8-2 after plating five runs on only one hit, five walks, and a hit-by-pitch in the fifth.

MCNEESE NOTES
Offense:
The Cowboys had seven hits in the game, four of which came from Payton Harden and Nate Fisbeck, each going 2-for-4 from the plate.
Clayton Rasbeary hit his fourth home run of the season to take sole possession of first on the team in homers.

Pitching:
Will Dion got the start for the Cowboys in Friday’s game, he would be credited with the loss after throwing 4.0 IP, surrendered only three runs on six hits, and strikeout 10 batters.
The Cowboys then threw three pitchers in the fifth, Cameron Meeks, Daniel Hecker, Brody Strahan.
Strahan would throw two innings before being replaced by Jonathan Ellison who would finish the game for the Cowboys after throwing the final 3.0 IP, surrender no hits, no runs, and struck out four.

QUOTES
Head Coach Justin Hill
“The fifth inning happens, I think it’s really because of what their offense did in the first inning stretching out Will Dion for 40 pitches in the inning to where we had to go to the bullpen early. After that, we just didn’t fill up the strike zone, they put together good at bats together, that’s definitely an inning we’d like to have back.”
“I think with both of those guy, Brody Strahan and Jonathan Ellison, did was give us a chance. At that point and time that’s big, you just want to give us a chance to come back and see if we can get deeper in their bullpen, but it didn’t work out today and we’ll come back strong tomorrow.”

ON DECK
The Cowboys will continue their series with UL-Monroe with game two tomorrow night at the Joe starting at 6 p.m. and concluding with game three on Sunday at 1 p.m.

STAY CONNECTED
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