Box Score LAKE CHARLES- The McNeese Cowboy baseball team squeak out a victory against Southland opponent Nicholls 7-6 Friday night at Joe Miller Ballpark in the opening game of the Mardi Gras Classic.
 
Will Dion picked up his first win as a Cowboy in a relief effort for starter Rhett Deaton, throwing two and a third innings.
 
Jake Dickerson had his best game as a Cowboy with a 3-for-3 night with 2 RBIs.
 
With the decision, the Cowboys improve to 5-4 on the season, while the Colonels move to 6-3.
 
The Cowboys will be back on the field on Saturday night to take on the Holy Cross Crusaders in the third game of the Mardi Gras Classic at 4 p.m. in Joe Miller Ballpark. Holy Cross will also be playing Nicholls in the first game of the day at 1 p.m.
 
 
KEY INNINGS
1st| In the bottom half, the Cowboys jumped out to an early lead after freshman Payton Harden and senior Shane Selman drew back-to-back walks, Clayton Rasbeary hit a single to load the bases. Next batter, Carson Maxwell, hit an RBI-single through the left side of the infield to score the Cowboys first run of the night. With the bases still loaded, Jake Dickerson would plate the Cowboys' second run with an RBI-single in to right field making it 2-0 after the first.
 
3rd| In the top half of the inning, the Colonels would score two runs to tie the game 2-2. In the bottom of the inning, Selman would be hit-by-pitch to lead off, then Rasbeary would hit an infield single and both would advance on a bad throw by the Nicholls second baseman. Maxwell would then come to the plate with two runners in scoring position and reach base on a fielder's choice, but Selman would be thrown out at the plate. So, with a man on the corners, Dickerson hit an RBI-double down right field line scoring Rasbeary and advancing Maxwell to third. Next batter, Jake Cochran, hit an RBI groundout to second to score Maxwell and extend the Cowboy lead to 4-2. The Cowboys lead would grow to 6-2 by the end of the inning after an RBI-double from senior Dustin Duhon and RBI-single from sophomore Reid Bourque.
 
4th| The Colonels would close the gap a little with two runs on two hits, making it 6-4.
 
6th| In the seventh, the Cowboys extended their lead to 7-4 with an RBI-fielder's choice by Selman after Fisbeck hit a double to deep center field and Harden singled to right for the only hits of the inning.
 
8th| In the top of the inning, the Colonels would close the Cowboys lead down to one run after drawing four-straight walks with a man on to score two runs, bringing it to the final 7-6.
 
MCNEESE NOTES
Offense:
• Junior first baseman Jake Dickerson lead the Cowboys offensively on Friday night going 3-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, a run, and two stolen bases.
• Senior catcher Dustin Duhon had a great night also, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, one RBI, and one run.
 
Pitching:
• Junior right-handed pitcher Rhett Deaton made his third start of the season on Friday night for the Cowboys, going for 4.2 innings, giving up seven hits for four runs, one strikeout and the no decision.
• Freshman Will Dion would relieve Deaton for the third out of the fifth inning and go on to pitch 2.1 innings giving up two hits, only one run, struck out one batter and earning his first win of the season.
• Aidan Anderson would relieve Dion in the eighth inning, pitching 2.0 innings, fanning four batters and picking up the save, his first of the year.
 
ON DECK
The Cowboys will host Holy Cross in the third game of the Mardi Gras Classic on Saturday afternoon at home in Joe Miller Ballpark at 4 p.m. Holy Cross and Nicholls will play a game right before at 1 p.m.
 
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