LAKE CHARLES, La. – In its home opener, McNeese's. hot bats weren't enough to overcome UL-Lafayette's hot start as the Cowboys (0-4) fell to the Ragin' Cajuns (3-1) 11-3 Tuesday evening at Joe Miller Ballpark.

"We're starting to get some traffic and played a really good team this weekend," said head coach Justin Hill about getting batters on base throughout the game.
 
Left field junior Conner Westenburg caught fire for the Cowboys behind the plate, batting .600 on the night in five at-bats. He collected two doubles for the pokes and a single with one RBI on the night.

"He gives us a little juice there and some aggression," said Hill when talking about Westenburg and his spot in the lineup. "He's earned that opportunity, we slid him up there and he's performed well and you'll probably see him up there Friday."
 
Senior Peyton LeJeune had the other multi-hit night for the blue and gold with two hits and one RBI, collecting another double for the Pokes.
 
Four other batters for the Cowboys collected hits with senior Cooper Hext hitting the team's fourth double and junior Grant Mangrum earning a triple on the night.
 
Taking to the mound at the game's start was sophomore Caleb Strmiska. He pitched for two outs of the first before Kainin Morrow (senior) entered for 4.1 innings of action, striking out a team-high six batters. Junior Max Swenson pitched for two innings following Morrow before senior Brock Barthelemy and junior Evan Maldonado closed out the game with an inning a piece.
 
UL-Lafayette scored eight runs in the top of the first inning before being held scoreless for six consecutive innings. The Cowboys plated two in the fourth and one in the bottom of the ninth to total three runs. The Ragin' Cajuns scored three in the top of the eighth.
 
Accounting for the team's three runs were Parker Stroh (senior), Connor Schneider (junior), and Hext.
 
The Cowboys will take two days of rest before opening up a four-game series against the New Mexico State Aggies stemming from Friday to Monday.