LAKE CHARLES – It was a pitcher's delight for Kaleb Fontenot on Friday night as the McNeese State junior hurler tossed eight quality innings for the Cowboys while an offensive prowess from a hungry Poke offense helped the Cowboys score a 7-3 victory over New Orleans in game one of an Easter weekend series.

Fontenot (4-3) was credited with the win after working eight innings against the Privateers and allowed just two earned runs off of three hits and two walks. He fanned six UNO batters throughout the start and recorded a three-up and three down play in four of the eight innings worked.

"Kaleb was good for us all night long," said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. "He overcame a little struggle in the fifth but was able to keep the innings small. He also worked around a throwing error that could have made it ugly but our guys made the plays tonight. They made the play when it was 3-3 and our guys came in and responded well."

The eight frames of work were the longest that a Cowboy pitcher has worked so far this season with the previous high coming from several McNeese pitching staff contributors who turned in multiple seven inning performances.

After battling through some struggles at the plate over the last few contests, the McNeese (18-12, 8-5 SLC) offense exploded an all-out attack against UNO (11-18, 2-8) as it pounded out 10 hits including two doubles, a homer and two stolen bases.

The Pokes were led by the bats of outfielder Andrew Guillotte and first baseman Connor Crane who each hit twice in the game while also knocking in two runs in the process. Rightfielder James Cantu turned in a multiple hit performance with a 2-for4 showing and also scored a run. Catcher Cameron Toole plated three total runs while designated hitter Joe Provenzano showed out with a hit and two runs scored.
After UNO drove in the first run of the ballgame, the Cowboys responded with a two run attack in the bottom of the third inning with a two-RBI hit from Crane who singled through the left side and gave McNeese a 2-1 lead.

The Cowboys tacked on an RBI hit from Guillotte in the fifth to go up two runs but were challenged by the Privateers in the seventh frames as they used a one hit-one error inning to score two and tie the ballgame up at three runs apiece.

The contest was knotted up for only a few minutes until the clutch hitting from Guillotte allowed Provenzano to score the go-ahead run and give the Pokes a 4-3 lead.

Guillotte reached a new milestone during the inning when he stole second base for his 70^th career steal. That mark places Guillotte in sole possession of second place in the all-time stolen bases category and his now only eight swipes away from tying Jace Peterson for the all-time record.

McNeese put its foot on the accelerator in the bottom of the eighth inning as it used a three hit, three run exercise and climb out to a 7-3 lead over the Privateers.

It was all started from shortstop Kris Molter who entered the game without a single RBI to his name. That all changed in the swing of a bat as he drove in an insurance run on a two-out liner up the middle that plated the Cowboys' fifth run of the game.

Another first was reached in the next at-bat as Toole launched his first homer of the season just over the scoreboard in left field. The no-doubter was enough to drive in two runs and help secure the series opening win for McNeese.

The Cowboys will be back in action on Friday when they meet New Orleans in game two of the weekend series. The first pitch is slated for a 6 o'clock start.

McNeese 7, New Orleans 3 (Apr 02, 2015 at Lake Charles, La.)
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New Orleans......... 001 000 200  -  3  4  2      (11-18, 2-8)
McNeese............. 002 010 13X  -  7 10  2      (18-12, 8-5)
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Pitchers: New Orleans - Martinez, Daniel; Taylor, Jarred(6); Laigast, Seth(8) and
Santana, Jonathan. McNeese - Fontenot, Kaleb; Kober, Collin(9) and Toole, Cameron.
Win-Fontenot, Kaleb(4-3)  Loss-Taylor, Jarred(0-1)  T-2:28  A-691
HR MCN - Toole, Cameron (1).
Weather: 78; Cloudy; S 12 MPH