LAKE CHARLES – Despite holding a five run lead twice in the ballgame, the McNeese baseball team could not overcome a late offensive surge from Southeastern Louisiana and fell to the Lions, 8-7, in Friday night's Southland Conference series opener at Joe Miller Ballpark.
The Cowboys extended their lead out to a 7-2 score in the fifth inning following a small comeback from Lions but were unable to prevent six-run effort across the last four innings that gave SLU the lead over McNeese. The Lions used two runs in the sixth inning followed by a three run campaign in the seventh to knot the score. An RBI-single in the eighth inning sealed the deal and would eventually help the Lions top McNeese for the first game of the series.
The loss dropped the Pokes to a 22-13 overall record and a 12-7 league mark while Southeastern improved to 27-12 on the year and 14-2 in Southland action.
McNeese came out firing on all cylinders scoring five runs in the first three frames of the contest. With a two run lead in the third inning, freshman designated hitter
Austin Nelson provided a two-RBI double deep into right center to help deepen the advantage while shortstop
Will Fox provided another run to aid in the effort to make it a 5-0 score.
Nelson, who also plays for the Cowboy football team as a tight end, was by far the highlight of the night batting 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. The Sulphur, Louisiana native also walked once and recorded two stolen bases.
Southeastern Louisiana peaked at just the right time as the Lions scraped a run here and there during the middle innings of the game to climb within three of the Cowboys before a pair of sacrifice flies in the bottom of the fifth helped McNeese back to a five run lead.
Fox launched a would-be grand slam to the right field wall before a talented Southeastern grab robbed the shortstop forcing the Pokes to settle for a sacrifice-RBI instead while catcher
Cameron Toole sent in another run to score off of another sacrifice fly.
However, it would not be enough to assure a victory as Southeastern Lousiana would tie the game up in the seventh with a three-run inning and take the lead in the eighth.
Ramirez (0-1) took the loss for McNeese after coming in from the outfield to relieve on the mound in the eighth inning. Ramirez tossed 2/3 of an inning and gave up one run on one hit.
Starter
Kaleb Fontenot tossed 5.2 frames and surrendered four runs off of six hits while striking out four batters.
The Cowboys pounded out 10 hits, five of which were extra-base hits, in the ballgame and were led by centerfielder
Ricky Ramirez's three hit effort. Nelson and senior
Lewis Guilbeau provided the only other multiple-hit efforts during the game. Despite no hits,
Will Fox drove two runners home during the game. Six total McNeese batters recorded a hit while five drove in a run.
Southeastern provided 11 hits in the ballgame while both squads committed two errors.
The Cowboys will be back in action Saturday afternoon in game two of the SLC series with the Lions. First pitch is slated for a 3 o'clock start.
Southeastern La. 8, McNeese 7 (Apr 22, 2016 at Lake Charles, La.)
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Southeastern La..... 000 112 310 - 8 11 2 (27-12, 14-2 SLC)
McNeese............. 113 020 000 - 7 10 2 (22-13, 12-7 SLC)
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Pitchers: Southeastern La. - Cedotal, Kyle; Gaconi, Corey(5); Hurst, Cliff(5);
Von Rosenberg, Gabe(6); Granier, Kade(8) and Eades, Chris. McNeese - Fontenot, Kaleb;
Fontenot, Trent(6); Ramirez, Ricky(8); Kober, Collin(8) and Toole, Cameron; Duhon, Dustin.
Win-Von Rosenberg, Gabe(1-0) Save-Granier, Kade(5) Loss-Ramirez, Ricky(0-1) T-3:19 A-983
Weather: 79; Partly Sunny; Wind: N9 MPH
Cedotal, K. faced 2 batters in the 5th.
