LAKE CHARLES – McNeese baseball defeated the defending conference champion Nicholls 5-1 Friday night to open up conference play at Joe Miller Ballpark. The Cowboys improve to 7-1 (1-0) for their best start under head coach Justin Hill while the Colonels fall to 5-5 (0-1) on the 2025 season.
 
The Pokes threw two pitchers on the night as senior Alexis Gravel and junior Jake Blackwell combined for 18 strikeouts while holding the Colonels to one run. It marks the most strikeouts the pitching staff has earned this year and sixth game with double-digit K's.
 
Offensively, Simon Larranaga, a senior, kicked off the night strong by diving for an inning-ending catch in right field in the first, followed up by a solo home run in his initial at-bat of the night for a 1-0 lead.
 
The Colonels tied up the game in the third ahead of another solo shot for the Cowboys, this time by redshirt sophomore Easton Dowell, out to left field for a 2-1 lead. McNeese took a 3-1 lead during the bottom of the fifth as Dowell recorded his second run of the day on a wild pitch.
 
The Cowboys continued to score in the sixth inning with two runs on a sacrifice fly by senior Grant Mangrum to score graduate student Davis Meche followed by an RBI single by senior Conner Westenburg to drive in junior Larry Edwards Jr. for a 5-1 advantage.
 
The Cowboys and Colonels continue the series Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Joe Miller Ballpark for 70's night.
 
Pitching Appearances
Alexis Gravel: 6.0 IP, 9 K's, 1 H, 6 BB, 1 ER, Win
Jake Blackwell: 3.0 IP, 9 K's, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, Save
 
McNeese Notes
• Gravel has struck out 21 batters over his last 12 innings of action.
• Gravel and Blackwell combined for a season-high 18 strikeouts in the season.
• Blackwell earned his first save as a Cowboy and Gravel his second win of 2025.
• McNeese owns 97 strikeouts on the season.
• Sixth game earning double-digit strikeouts and fifth consecutive to accomplish the feat.
• The 7-1 start is the best since 2009 and best under Coach Hill.
• Multiple-Hit Games: Easton Dowell, Conner Westenburg
• Dowell went 2-for-2 with two runs scored for the Pokes and an RBI.