NATCHITOCHES – The McNeese State baseball team dropped a heartbreaker of a series finale on Sunday, falling to Northwestern State 5-4 on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 12
th inning as the Demons clinched the Southland Conference series at Brown-Stroud Field in Natchitoches.
The Cowboys looked to have a good shot at delivering the game-winning run in the top of the 12
th inning as they loaded the bases with two outs and the middle of the lineup due to bat. Junior
Lewis Guilbeau made the walk to the plate with the look of determination etched in his eyes. However, the leftfielders hit was not enough as his fielder's choice was negated by a play at second that ended the inning.
With two outs and two runners on base in the bottom of the frame, Northwestern State's David Fry delivered a single into left field to help drive in the series clinching run from second base.
The contest was the fourth extra-inning affair for McNeese this season. The Cowboys are now 2-2 in extra-inning games.
The loss drops McNeese to 17-11 overall and 7-5 in league action while the Demons improved to 16-11 on the year and 8-3 in SLC play.
Collin Kober was charged with the loss despite tossing 3.2 innings of quality pitching and surrendering only one run on six hits, no walks and struck out six batters.
Starting pitcher
Ethan Stremmel turned in the first quality start of his career after working six innings against the Demons and gave up one earned run despite scattering six hits and two walks.
The Cowboys logged 11 hits during the contest and were led by senior
Connor Lloyd who batted 3-for-6 including a double. Senior
James Cantu and junior
Connor Crane each turned in two hits and an RBI while junior
Cameron Toole also knocked in a run.
The Demons constructed a three-hit, one error outing in the first inning that plated three runs for the home team. It was the third time on the weekend that Northwestern State found itself in a multiple-run lead in the first three innings.
However, the Cowboys clawed their way back inning-by-inning beginning with a sacrifice fly out RBI from Cantu in the top of the fourth frame to cut the lead to only two runs.
Crane struck again for the Pokes in the next inning with a two-out RBI-hit that scored Toole from third base and squander the Demons lead to only one run.
Toole took the opportunity to knot up the score in the sixth inning after having laid down a bases loaded sac bunt right to the pitcher that allowed Cantu to plate the tying run and make the score 3-3.
Following a pitching change, senior
Lucas Quary who reached base earlier in the inning on a single was directed home after a passed ball slipped by Northwestern State's pitcher and gave the Cowboys a one run lead over the Demons, 4-3.
Northwestern State tied the ballgame up in the bottom of the frame after a fielding error kept the home side of the inning alive and followed the play with an RBI-single.
McNeese will be back in action on Tuesday when it welcomes Southern University to Cowboy Diamond for a mid-week contest. The contest is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Northwestern State 5, McNeese 4 (Mar 29, 2015 at Natchitoches, La.)
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McNeese............. 000 112 000 000 - 4 11 2 (17-11, 7-5 SLC)
Northwestern State.. 300 001 000 001 - 5 13 0 (16-11, 8-3 SLC)
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Pitchers: McNeese - Stremmel, Ethan; Prejean, Cole(7); Kober, Collin(9) and Toole, Cameron.
Northwestern State - Stovall, J.; Duvic, H.(6); Smith, B.(10) and Webster, CJ.
Win-Smith, B.(1-1) Loss-Kober, Collin(1-1) T-3:30 A-412
Weather: 77 and mostly sunny
Prejean, C. faced 1 batter in the 9th.
