LAKE CHARLES – The
Justin Hill era couldn't have started off any better Friday night as the McNeese Baseball team opened the 2014 season with an 9-3 victory over Chicago State.
The season opening win is the first for the Cowboys since defeating Houston Baptist at their place in 2012. The victory was also McNeese's first home opening win since 2010 while Hill became the first Cowboy skipper to win a season opener in his first year since Todd Butler in 2001.
"Well, once we got the game going it felt like just another game," said Hill. "I have been fortunate to serve under coaches that have given me the chance to make crucial decisions and tonight I felt like I did the same with my staff. We have a great staff here. This was all a team effort for sure."
The Cowboys had to clear some early season cobwebs in the early going as an error committed on a play at the plate allowed Chicago State's Mattingly Romanin to score and take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
McNeese gathered itself in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs to take the lead that it would not relinquish the rest of the game. In his first collegiate at-bat
James Cantu drove in an RBI as he grounded out to second while senior
Jackson Gooch scored on an error by the Cougars second baseman. Lloyd scored the final run of the inning after a bases loaded walk.
"Bryce (Kingsley) wasn't at his best tonight but what he did do was give us a chance to win," said Hill. "He made some big pitches when he had to and the interesting thing is that they left 10 runners on base and had just as many hits as we did. Our guys made some great plays and backed up the pitching staff well."
Chicago State cut the lead to one run in the top of the third as Russell scored on an infield single that scraped the leg of Kingsley.
Reed Gordy, who went 2-4 with three RBI on the evening, drove in a run in the bottom of the third as he singled to center field and sent Lloyd home to score.
After starting the game as the designated hitter,
Lucas Quary came in to relieve a Kingsley on the mound and in the process picked up his first career win after tossing 3.1 innings and allowed no runs on three hits and fanned four batters.
"I think that was the changing point in the game is when Lucas came in," said Hill. The energy he brought was great and he had a certain presence about him and picked up some momentum for us. The tempo really changed for us."
The momentum was certainly noticed as McNeese tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning with a
Taylor Drake two-run single to left field while
Matt Williams scored on a left field single by Gordy.
Steven O'Bryant entered the back end of the game to relieve Quary and was credited with his first career save after working 2.2 innings, allowing just one run and struck out four batters.
The Cougars attempt at a comeback fell short late in the eighth inning as they posted a run while the Cowboys stretched their lead in the bottom of the inning with a one-run double by Drake.
McNeese will be back in action tomorrow when the Cowboys take on SEC opponent Missouri in game two of Saturday's Lake Area Classic. The game is the first meeting between the two programs and is slated for a 3 p.m. start.
