LAKE CHARLES- The McNeese Cowboys Baseball team hit back-to-back home runs late, but fall short and surrender their first loss of the season in a 7-4 defeat to Louisiana Tech in Joe Miller Ballpark on Tuesday night.

Offensively, Nate Fisbeck, Clayton Rasbeary, and Reid Bourque each recorded a hit in tonight's game to extend their hitting streak to five straight.
In the bottom of the eighth, with the Cowboys down 6-2, Fisbeck and Dickerson tried to reenergize the team with back-to-back home runs to make it a two run game, but the Cowboys fell just short.

On the mound, the Cowboys threw five arms on the night including Daniel Hecker, who got the start and was credited with the loss, Brody Strahan, Andrew Sheridan, Brad Kincaid, Kevin Roliard, and Hunter Reeves.

The Cowboys will hit the road next, traveling to Thibodaux, Louisiana for the Mardi Gras Tournament against Nicholls and Arkansas-Little Rock over the weekend and into Monday before returning home next weekend.
 
KEY INNINGS
 
2nd | In the top half of the inning, the Cowboys held the Bulldogs scoreless. In the bottom of the inning, McNeese scored the games first run. Jake Dickerson and Brett Whelton started out with back-to-back singles, followed by Peyton Johnson bunting into a fielder's choice resulting in Dickerson being thrown out at third. With two men still on, Julian Gonzales drew the walk to load the bases for Payton Harden. Harden plated Whelton for the Cowboys first run of the game by beating out the 6-4-3 double play attempt. Cowboys led 1-0 after the second inning.

3rd | In the top of the third, the Bulldogs responded with two runs of their own on three hits and a wild pitch to claim the 2-1 lead after the third.

4th | In the top of the inning, the Bulldogs extended their lead to 4-1 after scoring two runs on two hits and three walks.

5th | In the bottom of the inning, the Cowboys got one run back to narrow the Bulldog lead to only two. Reid Bourque reached base on an infield single and got to second because of a errored throw by the third baseman. Very next batter, Rasbeary hit a bomb off the center field wall for a triple, plating Bourque and bringing the score to 4-2 after the fifth.
 
6th | In the top of the inning, the Bulldogs would respond, scoring one run on three hits to extend the lead back out to four, 5-2 after the sixth.
 
7th | In the top of the inning, the Bulldogs extended their lead to 6-2 after scoring one run on one hit and two hit-by-pitches.

8th | In the bottom of the inning, the Cowboys would narrow the lead down to only two runs after Nate Fisbeck and Dickerson hit back-to-back home runs, Fisbeck to deep left and Dickerson to dead center field, making it 6-4 after the eighth inning.

9th | In the top of the inning, the Bulldogs responded once again, plating one run to make the final 7-4.

MCNEESE NOTES
Offense:
The Cowboys were led offensively by Nate Fisbeck and Jake Dickerson, Fisbeck going 1-for-4 and Dickerson going 2-for-4. Both hitting their second homerun on the season and each had one RBI in the game.
  
Pitching:
Senior right-hander Daniel Hecker got the start for the Cowboys in Tuesday's game, finishing with 2.1 IP, 4 hits and two runs allowed, and struck out four batters.

Hecker was relieved by senior Brody Strahan with one out in the third and one man on base. Brody would finish the inning and then be relieved with one out in the fourth. Strahan finished with 1.0 IP, two runs earned, and two strikeouts.

Andrew Sheridan would relieve Strahan in the fourth. Sheridan would throw the next 2.1 innings before being relieved. In his time on the mound, Sheridan allowed six hits, one run, and walked two.

Senior Brad Kincaid then relieved Sheridan and finish the sixth inning. Kincaid would finish with 1.1 IP, one hit allowed, and one run allowed.
Kevin Roliard and Huner Reeves would finish out the game for the Cowboys for a combined 2.0 IP, one hit, one run, two walks, and one strikeout.

ON DECK
The Cowboys will go on the road to Thibodaux for the Mardi Gras Tournament to face Nicholls and Arkansas-Little Rock.
 
STAY CONNECTED
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