CONWAY, Ark. – With a strong relief effort from sophomore
Aidan Anderson, the McNeese baseball team completed a three-game Southland Conference sweep over Central Arkansas, 5-3, Sunday afternoon to stretch its winning streak to eight consecutive on the season.
Entering in the top of the second to relieve starter
Bryan King, Anderson worked an impressive 4.2 scoreless innings in his second appearance on the week. The right-hander limited the Bears offense to just one hit and a walk while tying a season-high four fanned batters on the way to his first win of the season.
Right fielder
Nate Fisbeck led the offensive attack for McNeese (12-4, 3-0 SLC). He finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and an RBI-sacrifice fly. Fisbeck came through in a big spot early, capping a three-run first inning with a two-out, two-run single to give the Cowboys their first lead of the day. The sophomore later added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.
Sophomore
Shane Selman's infield single drove in the first run of the day in the first frame before Fisbeck added two more to the Pokes' lead. McNeese has now scored in the first inning of 13 contests and own a 10-3 mark when doing so while recording a 9-4 record in games that it has scored first.
Central Arkansas (6-11, 0-3 SLC) responded with a trio of runs in the bottom of the first and second innings, forcing King off the mound after only 1.2 frames of work. Despite allowing three hits and three runs in the first two, the McNeese bullpen shut out the Bears the rest of the way and only allowed one multiple-hit inning.
The Pokes regained the lead in the seventh thanks to catcher Duston Duhon's RBI-sacrifice before Fisbeck's insurance run in the eighth secured the Cowboys' first conference sweep since doing so against New Orleans in April of 2016.
Austin Briggs brought home the save after recording the last out of the contest. Sunday's save was the second of Briggs' career.
Robbie Podorsky extended his team-high hit streak to nine on the season with a hit in the fifth.
Central Arkansas pitcher Mark Moyer (0-1) was charged with the loss despite stymying McNeese for most of the game with 8.0 frames tossed along with four strikeouts.
McNeese's eight-game wins streak is its longest since the 2010 season when the Pokes won nine in a row. The last time UCA was swept by the Cowboys was that same season which also happened to be the last time McNeese started out league play with a sweep.
The Pokes will be back in action Tuesday evening when they make the trip to Space City for a mid-week bout with the Houston Cougars. Game time is set for a 6:30 p.m. start.
McNeese 5, Central Arkansas 3 (Mar 12, 2017 at Conway, Ark.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
McNeese............. 300 000 110 - 5 9 1 (12-4, 3-0)
Central Arkansas.... 120 000 000 - 3 8 1 (6-11, 0-3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: McNeese - King, Bryan; Anderson, Aidan(2); Anderson, Grant(7); Fliger, Avery(9);
Briggs, Austin(9) and Duhon, Dustin. Central Arkansas - Moyer, Mark; Hagerla, Brandon(9) and
Hancock, William.
Win-Anderson, Aidan(1-1) Save-Briggs, Austin(1) Loss-Moyer, Mark(0-1) T-2:52 A-245
Weather: 39 degrees, sunny
