LAKE CHARLES – Despite its work at the plate with three extra base hits, including two home runs, the McNeese baseball team was unable to keep up with the hot bats of ULM Wednesday and fell to the Warhawks, 12-4, for the mid-week series split at Cowboy Diamond.
 
With the loss, McNeese dropped to an even 8-8 overall record on the season while ULM improved to 7-9 this year.
 
Freshman Shane Selman and senior Connor Crane each belted a home run in the contest. It was Selman's fourth tater on the season while Crane's bomb in the eighth inning was his third this year. The Cowboys have now hit at least one home run in four consecutive games.
 
Centerfielder Ricky Ramirez led the offensive effort for the Cowboys with two hits and a run scored while Crane registered a team-high sixth multiple-RBI effort this season following a two-RBI show on Wednesday night.
 
Selman, who now has hit in eight straight ballgames, tied things up on the first pitch of the bottom first inning as he launched a rocket over the left field wall for a 1-1 ballgame.
 
The Warhawks used the arm of its starting pitcher and the heated bats of its offense to extend their lead to a 5-1 score with a pair of runs in the second and third innings.
 
McNeese cut the lead again in the fourth with an RBI-sacrifice from rightfielder Lewis Guilbeau but ULM answered with another run in the top of the next frame.
 
The Warhawks put the game out of reach in the seventh inning with a three-run homerun that gave the opposition a 9-2 lead over the Pokes.
 
Those in attendance witnessed an event not many spectators have seen at Cowboy Diamond as Crane's two-run dinger was sent high and deep over the middle of the centerfield wall that helped McNeese minimize the lead to five runs.
 
However, ULM sent another three run shot over the wall to put away the ballgame, 12-4.
 
McNeese starter Aidan Anderson (0-2) received the loss after having worked 2.0 innings and gave up two earned runs off of three hits with two strikeouts.
 
The Cowboys return to Southland Conference action over the weekend as they travel to San Antonio for a trio of games with Incarnate Word. Friday's game is slated for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.
 
ULM 12, McNeese 4 (Mar 16, 2016 at Lake Charles, La.)
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ULM................. 122 010 303  - 12 11  0      (7-9)
McNeese............. 100 100 020  -  4  7  3      (8-8)
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Pitchers: ULM - Daily, Ethan; Bell, Brandon(6); Bradford, Keller(7); Cater, Chase(8);
Herrera, Anthony(9) and Todd, Dalton. McNeese - Anderson, Aidan; Stremmel, Ethan(3);
Sanders, Austin(6); Anderson, Grant(7); Mize, Mason(9) and Duhon, Dustin.
Win-Daily, Ethan(2-1)  Loss-Anderson, Aidan(0-2)  T-2:44  A-475
HR ULM - Springer, Danny 2 (3).
HR MCN - Selman, Shane (4); Crane, Connor (3).
Weather: 74; Overcast; Wind: 9 S