LAKE CHARLES –
Dustin Duhon became the hero of the evening during Saturday's contest between the McNeese baseball team and Rhode Island as the sophomore catcher lifted a bases-loaded, sacrifice fly into centerfield that scored the winning run and pulled the Cowboys past the Rams, 5-4, on the second day of the Lake Area Classic.
McNeese (2-0) seemed as though it had secured the victory entering the top of the ninth leading by two until a Rhode Island (0-2) rally pulled the Rams back into the game and knotted the score up at four runs apiece.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Pokes were able to load the bases highlighted by a
Jacob Stracner double that smacked off the right field wall. Next up was Duhon, who saw three pitches before sending a fly out to center and allowed
Will Fox to score the game-winning run for the Pokes.
McNeese took an early 1-0 lead in the first frame following
Robbie Podorsky's scrape across the plate due to a wild pitch by the Rams pitching staff.
The Pokes were stifled offensively for the first six innings of the game as Rhode Island prevented McNeese from recording a hit. The Rams plated two runs in the top of the fifth for a 2-1 lead that held up until the seventh.
However, a spark was lit once again by sophomore
Nate Fisbeck, who launched his second home run of the season in the bottom of the seventh inning, to give the Pokes a 4-2 lead.
Fisbeck, who drove in just four runs total last season, has now driven in 10 runs on the weekend alone. He has four hits, three which are extra base, and two runs scored.
Reliever
Collin Kober (1-0) was credited with the save after tossing 1.0 inning and gave up two runs off of two hits.
Rhode Island's Cam LaFleur (0-1) was charged with the loss following 1.1 frames of work and one run surrendered.
Sunday will close out the Lake Area Classic as Rhode Island and Stony Brook face off at 11 a.m. followed by McNeese and Missouri State for the tournament title. First pitch is set for a 2 p.m. start.
McNeese 5, Rhode Island 4 (Feb 18, 2017 at Lake Charles, La.)
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Rhode Island........ 000 020 002 - 4 11 0 (0-2)
McNeese............. 100 000 301 - 5 4 0 (2-0)
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Pitchers: Rhode Island - JOHNSON, Nick; GRILLO, Dom(7); LaFLEUR, Cam(8); BARSS, Tyler(9) and
FIGUEROA, Martin. McNeese - Deaton, Rhett; Anderson, Aidan(4); Fontenot, Trent(7);
Kober, Collin(9) and Duhon, Dustin.
Win-Kober, Collin(1-0) Loss-LaFLEUR, Cam(0-1) T-2:33 A-958
HR MCN - Fisbeck, Nate.
Weather: 71; Partly Sunny, Wind: S 8
