SAN ANTONIO – UIW left fielder Rey Mendoza hit a lead-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead the Cardinals to a come-back win over McNeese in the first game of a Southland Conference baseball series.
 
UIW (23-19, 10-6 SLC) trailed 7-4 heading into the eighth inning where it scored three runs to tie the Cowboys (27-14, 8-8) then got the walk-off homer to win the game in the ninth.
 
McNeese starting pitcher Grant Rogers left the game after throwing 6.1 innings and giving up four runs on eight hits with four strike outs and four walks. Christian Vega relieved him with 0.2 innings pitched but came out of the game in the eighth inning after he walked the lead-off batter then a wild pitch advanced the runner to second.
 
Ty Abraham relieved Vega in the eighth and allowed three runs on two hits while suffering the loss as the fell to 1-1 on the season.
 
Offensively, the Cowboys collected 11 hits with four of those going for extra bases.
 
Second baseman Brad Burckel had a 3-for-4 game with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored. First baseman Chase Keeton finished 2-for-3 with a homer, RBI and run scored and catcher Andruw Gonzales finished 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and a run.
 
Payton Harden, who went 1-for-4 at the plate with a walk, became the Cowboys' career stolen base record with a swipe in the fourth inning. That gave him 80 in his career, passing Reid Bourque who set the mark last season.
 
The series will continue on Saturday with a 2 p.m. first pitch.