MONROE – The McNeese State baseball team delivered three home runs in its mid-week finale against the University of Louisiana at Monroe Wednesday but it was not enough to cut into an early deficit as the Cowboys fell to ULM in a 4-3 affair at Warhawk Field.
ULM improved to 17-15 overall on the season after taking the two-game series from the Pokes. McNeese is now 20-14 on the season after dropping its fourth consecutive mid-week contest.
The Cowboys will return to league action this weekend when the welcome Lamar to Lake Charles for a three-game weekend series. The first game is set for Friday, April 10 with first pitch at 6 p.m.
After trailing by three runs in the first four innings of the contest, McNeese (20-14) chopped down the lead to a 3-1 score after
Matt Gallier launched his fourth homer of the season over the right field wall.
The Cowboys again cut into the lead in the top half of the seventh frame when
Lucas Quary sent a missile to left field that scored McNeese's second run of the game and made the score 3-2. The homer was the sixth of the season for Quary, which is a team-high.
After the Warhawks (17-15) tacked on another run in the bottom of the inning to stretch out to a two-run lead, the Pokes made one last run at a rally that was led off by a no-doubter from
Billy Sommers. The solo shot was Sommers' first of the season as it cut the lead to a 4-3 score. However, the Cowboys were unable to put anything else together and fell in the second game of the weekend series.
McNeese starting pitcher
Trent Fontenot (3-2) was charged with the loss after having delivered 5.1 innings of work and scattered nine hits and surrendered three runs. Fontenot was able to fan six batters in the process.
Relievers
Cole Prejean and
Cory LaPeze combined for the last 2.2 innings and allowed only one run to score despite giving up three hits.
ULM starter Brayden Bouchay received the victory after firing of six innings and allowed only two runs on six hits. Anthony Herrera picked up the save for the Warhawks after a two inning session that allowed just one McNeese run to score.
Gallier led all Cowboy batters with two hits on the evening along with an RBI and a run scored. Six other McNeese hitters recorded a hit in the game.
For up-to-date information, fans can follow McNeese Baseball on Facebook as well as on Twitter by following @McNeeseBaseball.
ULM 4, McNeese 3 (Apr 08, 2015 at Monroe, La.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
McNeese............. 000 010 101 - 3 8 0 (20-14)
ULM................. 012 000 10X - 4 12 0 (17-15)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: McNeese - Fontenot, Trent; Prejean, Cole(6); LaPeze, Cory(8) and Toole, Cameron;
LaRosa, Garrett. ULM - Bouchey, B.; Leone, J.(7); Herrera, A.(9) and Todd, D..
Win-Bouchey, B.(3-1) Save-Herrera, A.(4) Loss-Fontenot, Trent(3-2) T-2:08 A-1541
HR MCN - Sommers, Billy (1); Quary, Lucas (6); Gallier, Matt (4).
Weather: 83F, Pt. Cldy, W: S@12, H:58%
Bouchey, B. faced 1 batter in the 7th.
