LAKE CHARLES – The McNeese baseball team took both ends of a twin bill from Pac-12 member Washington State to secure the series victory on Friday winning the first game, 8-2, and the second game, 6-2 and received great news as it found out that it had punched its ticket to the 2016 Southland Conference Tournament.
With the sweep, McNeese improved to 29-22 on the year while Washington State fell to 17-33.
The Cowboys now have little to worry about when they step back on the field Saturday as they have officially clinched a spot in the 2016 Southland Confernece Tournament in Sugar Land, Texas next week. The Pokes were worried about the HBU-Sam Houston State series as a Huskies sweep would more than likely knock McNeese out of postseason contention. HBU was swept in Friday's doubleheader against the Bearkats.
With its ticket punched, the Pokes can enter the tournament from as high as the fifth seed to the seventh seed.
McNeese is now winners of five games in a row and can be the first Cowboy club since 2000 to win 30 or more games three years in a row.
Seniors
Connor Crane and
Lewis Guilbeau combined for 10 hits, a double, two RBI and three runs scored during the doubleheader. In all, McNeese hit 20 times during both contests along with two doubles and two home runs. The Cowboys stole four bases and walked eight times.
The Cowboys will have to wait until Saturday afternoon to find out who they will be facing in the postseason but will focus its attention on picking up the series sweep against Washington State at 4 p.m. (CT) in Pullman.
Below is a recap of both games:
GAME ONE: McNeese 8, Washington State 2
McNeese secured its second victory of the weekend series in Friday's twin bill with an 8-2 victory over Washington State.
The Cowboys took an early three-run lead in the first inning lit by RBI-singles from both
Connor Crane and
Joe Provenzano.
Austin Nelson added another run on the board as he grounded out allowing Provenzano to score for a 3-0 lead.
Washington State cut the lead to one run in the next frame but it was freshman
Shane Selman's ninth home run of the year that helped lift the Pokes ahead of the Cougars for a 5-2 score.
Another RBI effort from Selman pushed the McNeese lead again in the sixth.
Crane and Provenzano delivered again in the final frame as they each drove in a run to give McNeese an 8-2 cushion.
McNeese held a 10-5 advantage in hitting against WSU during the contest. Crane and sophomore
Joe Provenzano led in the hitting effort with two hits and two RBI each while Selman drove in three runs. Four different McNeese batters hit at least twice in the game.
Freshman ace
Bryan King (6-3) picked up the victory after working six innings despite giving up two runs on five hits. He struck out six batters and walked only two during the process.
Reliever
Austin Briggs aided in the win after having tossed the last frame.
McNeese 8, Washington State 2 (May 20, 2016 at Pullman, Wash.) (Game 1)
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McNeese............. 300 201 2 - 8 10 1 (28-22)
Washington State.... 020 000 0 - 2 5 2 (17-32)
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Pitchers: McNeese - King, Bryan; Briggs, Austin(7) and Toole, Cameron. Washington State -
Jones, D; Nealy, C(5) and Van Horn, S.
Win-King, Bryan(6-3) Loss-Jones, D(1-2) T-2:02 A-0
HR MCN - Selman, Shane (9).
Weather: Cloudy, 60 degrees, wind to rf
GAME TWO: McNeese 6, Washington State 2
The Cowboys surged for four runs in the final frame to break loose from a tie with the Cougars and posted a 6-2 victory for the series win in the nightcap Friday night.
With both squads knotted up 2-2, McNeese was able to load the bases and stayed calm as freshman
Shane Selman drew a walk to score the go-ahead run over WSU.
From there, the Cowboys were able to do more damage as freshman
Eric Peterson followed with a fielder's choice-RBI while
Nate Fisbeck was able to reach base on a dropped strikeout that allowed another run to score.
Junior
Will Fox put the finishing touches on the game a few plays later as his RBI-single gave McNeese a 6-2 advantage and the eventual victory.
Reliever
Trent Fontenot (4-2) was credited with the win after entering the game in the sixth inning and helped the Pokes tame Washington State with 2.0 innings worked and just one hit while striking out three batters.
Starting pitcher
Ethan Stremmel was effective as he allowed only two runs on three hits in 5.0 innings of work. He struck out four batters while having walked only two.
Ricky Ramirez's sacrifice fly in the third inning gave McNeese a 1-0 lead before Washington State gained a 2-1 lead over the Pokes in the bottom of the inning.
Provenzano proved big in the face of the team's first adversity of the game as he lifted his third tater of the season over the right field wall to tie things up at 2-2.
Crane and Guilbeau once again led the team in batting as each player recorded three hits in the contest. Six total McNeese player hit in the game while four each drove in a run.
Guilbeau has two more hits in seven consecutive games while Crane has recorded four straight multiple hit efforts.
For the eighth contest in a row, the Pokes recorded 10 or more hits while limiting the WSU to four. McNeese left nine on base while the Cougars stranded five in the game.
McNeese 6, Washington State 2 (May 20, 2016 at Pullman, Wash.) (Game 2)
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McNeese............. 001 100 4 - 6 10 0 (29-22)
Washington State.... 002 000 0 - 2 4 0 (17-33)
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Pitchers: McNeese - Stremmel, Ethan; Fontenot, Trent(6) and Duhon, Dustin; Toole, Cameron.
Washington State - Hamilton, I; Dupre, T(7); Greenfield,C(7) and Van Horn, S.
Win-Fontenot, Trent(4-2) Loss-Dupre, T(0-4) T-2:28 A-732
HR MCN - Provenzano, Joe (3).
Weather: Cloudy, 60 degrees, wind to rf
