TUCSON, Ariz. – In the final game of its weekend series, the McNeese baseball team put up a fight with the nation's seventh-ranked team but was defeated in eight innings, 12-5, by the Arizona Wildcats at Hi Corbett Field.
The Cowboys (4-4) return home during the upcoming week for a mid-week tilt with ULM on Wednesday followed by a weekend series against Prairie View A&M. Arizona improved to 8-0 to begin the season, with all eight victories coming at home.
McNeese put up three runs to begin the game highlighted by a two-RBI double to left field by
Ricky Ramirez, Jr. as well as a single from
Matt Gallier to make it a 3-0 lead over the Wildcats.
Gallier was the leading hitter throughout the Arizona series as he finished with a .417 (5-for-12) clip along with two runs, an RBI and four walks for a .563 on-base percentage.
Both teams traded a run in the second frame but it was Arizona that exploded for four runs in the third frame to take the lead over the Cowboys thanks to a three-run home run by the Wildcats' J. Oliva.
Sophomore
Nate Fisbeck slammed a two-out, RBI-triple to center field in the fifth inning to knot things up, 5-5, between the two squads. Fisbeck finished the game having gone 2-for-2 and was the only Cowboy to have reached base each time at bat as he walked twice during the game as well.
Fisbeck was one of five McNeese batters to record multiple-hits in the series finale with Ramirez doubling twice Gallier hitting twice and walking once.
Arizona took control of the game as it used six hits and seven runs to go up by seven runs over the Cowboys, a lead that held until the last pitch.
McNeese reliever
Collin Kober (1-1) took the loss after having tossed 0.2 of an inning and gave up three runs on three hits.
Trent Fontenot led the Cowboy bullpen with three strikeouts on the day.
Arizona 12, McNeese 5 (Feb 26, 2017 at Tucson, Ariz.)
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McNeese............. 310 010 00 - 5 13 1 (4-4)
Arizona............. 014 000 7X - 12 12 2 (8-0)
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Pitchers: McNeese - Rider, Zach; Anderson, Aidan(2); Fontenot, Trent(3); Ramirez, Ricky(6);
Kober, Collin(7); Anderson, Grant(7) and Duhon, Dustin. Arizona - Rivas, Alfonso;
Faulkner, Landon(1); Aguilera, Juan(3); Labaut, Randy(5); Schnabel, Austin(6); Ming, Cameron(6)
and Salazar, Cesar.
Win-Ming, Cameron(2-0) Loss-Kober, Collin(1-1) T-3:45 A-2237
HR ARIZ - Oliva, Jared (2).
Weather: Cloudy, Mid 60s
Labaut, R. faced 1 batter in the 6th.
Ramirez, R. faced 4 batters in the 7th.
