CONWAY, Ark. – The McNeese State baseball team had many hoops and hurdles that it had to clear in Thursday night's series opener against Central Arkansas but the Cowboys were unable to clear the last obstacle and dropped a heartbreaking 5-4 loss at Bear Stadium.
 
With the loss, the Cowboys dipped to 31-22 overall on the season and 17-11 in the Southland Conference standings while UCA improved to 26-21 and 15-13 in league play.
 
Senior reliever Cole Prejean (2-3) was charged with the loss after having tossed 1.1 innings and allowed just one hit, a walk and two runs while having struck out two batters.
 
Thursday's starter Kaleb Fontenot turned in another quality start with 6.0 innings pitched and three runs allowed despite scattering seven hits and a walk. He fanned seven batters in the process.
 
Junior Lewis Guilbeau led the offensive effort for McNeese with two hits in the game along with an RBI and a run scored. He extended his hitting streak to four games while senior Andrew Guillotte and sophomore Matt Gallier each tallied an RBI while seven Pokes in total recorded a hit in the contest. Guillotte has now reached base in 13 consecutive contests.
 
McNeese hung the first run on the board in the top of the second inning that was started by a nine-pitch battle from Guilbeau who singled with two outs. Next up was Gallier whose RBI-double deep to left center allowed Guilbeau to reach home and allow the Pokes to take a 1-0 lead.
 
The Bears responded with a run of their own in the third frame to knot up the ballgame before Guilbeau sparked another two-out offensive effort in the next inning as his RBI single scored senior James Cantu, who doubled earlier in the frame, from second base and gave McNeese a 2-1 advantage. The RBI was Guilbeau's 19^th on the year.
 
UCA used two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on back-to-back RBI hits that helped the Bears climb out to a one run lead.
 
The seventh inning belonged to the Pokes as they plated two more runs that helped regain the lead. Following a UCA pitching change and with runners standing at the corners, Guillotte laid a groundout at the feet of the Bears' first baseman who watched on as Gallier scored from third to tie the game again at 3-3.
 
Two plays later, a double steal attempt allowed freshman Joe Provenzano to score the go-ahead run and give McNeese a 4-3 lead over UCA.
 
However, the Bears used a series of unfortunate events in the eighth frame that included a hit-by-pitch to tie the ballgame up followed by a questionable call at the plate that gave UCA a 5-4 lead on a bases-loaded walk.
 
A late-game rally was had by the Pokes who used a hit, a walk and a fielder's choice to place the tying run in scoring position. With two outs left, Provenzano came to the plate but was unable to find the pitch he wanted as three fast consecutive strikes were called to end the game.
 
The two teams are scheduled to meet again on Friday with first pitch set for a 6 o'clock start. Fans can get up-to-the-minute news as well as time changes for the weekend series by liking McNeese Sports on Facebook and by following @McNeeseBaseball on Twitter.
 
Central Arkansas 5, McNeese 4 (May 14, 2015 at Conway, Ark.)
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McNeese............. 010 100 200  -  4  8  2      (31-22, 17-11 SLC)
Central Arkansas.... 001 020 02X  -  5  8  0      (26-21, 15-13 SLC)
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Pitchers: McNeese - Fontenot, Kaleb; Prejean, Cole(7); Quary, Lucas(8); Kober, Collin(8) and
Toole, Cameron. Central Arkansas - Gilmore, C.; Beier, D.(7); Stitch, B.(9) and Hull, T..
Win-Beier, D.(4-1)  Save-Stitch, B.(4)  Loss-Prejean, Cole(2-3)  T-2:50  A-325
Gilmore, C. faced 2 batters in the 7th.