LAKE CHARLES, La. – McNeese Baseball (13-11, 1-1 SLC) fell to Northwestern State (8-19, 2-3 SLC) late in the game as the Demons took advantage of a five-run inning at Joe Miller Ballpark Friday afternoon.
 
"Sometimes you have to learn as you go and that was a tough one," said head coach Justin Hill. "We'll be okay, but that's a tough one for the boys."
 
Taking his sixth start of his senior campaign, Zach Voss threw for a career-high eight strikeouts over the course of 6.2 innings, not permitting a walk in the outing. He helped limit the runs scored to one as he and graduate student Daelan Caraway kept it to a one-run game through the eighth.
 
Offensively, McNeese collected six hits as seniors Cooper Hext and Elliot Hebert both had two hits on the day for the Pokes. Redshirt freshman Easton Dowell and senior Parker Stroh both collected a hit as well.
 
Hext scored both runs for the Cowboys, the first coming in the form of a home run out to right field. His latter run was scored in the eighth on Hebert's lone hit of the day.
 
Both teams will face off in a rubber match Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the ballpark, both looking for their first conference series win.
 
Pitching Appearances
Zach Voss: 6.2 IP, 8 K's, 8 H, 0 BB, 1 ER
Daelan Caraway: 2.1 IP, 2 K's, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 ER
 
McNeese Notes
- Voss threw a career-high eight strikeouts through 6.2 innings.
- Second consecutive week Voss and Caraway have thrown back-to-back.
- Four of the team's six hits came in the last three innings of the game.
- Hext earned his eighth multi-hit game of the season.
- Hebert had his first multi-hit game.