LAKE CHARLES – Easton Dowell's near-perfect day at the plate helped propel McNeese baseball over Lamar 9-4 Sunday evening to clinch the series 2-1 at Joe Miller Ballpark. The Cowboys continue their best start under the leadership of head coach Justin Hill at 14-4 (6-3 SLC) as the Cardinals shift to 15-7 (3-8 SLC) on the season.
 
Dowell started the day 3-for-3, recording three singles in the first four innings one night removed from his walk-off home run over Lamar in extra innings. The redshirt sophomore struck out in the sixth inning before earning a two-RBI double in the eighth. He finished the day 4-for-5 with three runs batted in and a run scored.
 
McNeese clinched the game early with a momentous bottom of the third by scoring six runs to gain a 6-2 advantage. Sophomore Mack Brousseau stepped up to the plate with bases juiced for the Pokes and smacked a ball out to left center for a three-RBI triple for the lead. Brousseau would come home on the next at-bat, a sacrifice fly by senior Marcus Heusohn for the RBI. Redshirt junior Braley Hollins drove in the next two runs on a double as senior Simon Larranaga and graduate student Davis Meche crossed home plate.
 
Dowell drove in the Pokes' seventh run of the game with a single as Westenburg ran home following a double up the middle and stolen base in the fourth. Dowell drove in the final Cowboy runs in the eighth to give McNeese a 9-3 edge.
 
Lamar led off the game with back-to-back doubles, later followed by an RBI groundout to take an early 2-0 edge in the first. Following five shutout innings by the Cowboy pitching staff, Lamar earned a run on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh, making it 7-3 at The Jeaux. The Cardinals' final run came in the top of the ninth, following a leadoff triple followed by a sacrifice fly two at-bats later.
 
Paul Coppinger, a redshirt junior, recorded his first victory as a Cowboy with the longest stint on the mound of four innings pitched. The right hander struck out two batters while permitting only two hits. All five pitchers who make an appearance recorded a strikeout. Coppinger and freshman Diego Corrales combined to throw five straight shutout innings.
 
McNeese continues its home stretch against Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. and 1 p.m. respectively at Joe Miller Ballpark.
 
Pitching Appearances
Diego Corrales: 2.0 IP, 2 K's, 3 H, 0 BB, 2 ER
Paul Coppinger: 4.0 IP, 2 K's, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, Win
Eric Nachtsheim: 0.1 IP, 1 K, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 ER
Blayne Fritcher: 0.2 IP, 2 K's, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 ER
Sergio Lopez: 2.0 IP, 1 K, 3 H, 0 BB, 1 ER
 
McNeese Notes
• Diego Corrales made his first weekend start and third start of the season.
• Paul Coppinger recorded his first win with the Cowboys.
• Dowell's four hits are the most by a Cowboy since May 2024 when Simon Larranaga had four against A&M-Corpus Christi.
• Mack Brousseau and Simon Larranaga both extended their season-best hitting streaks to nine games each.
• Marcus Heusohn is on a five-game hitting streak.
• Larry Edwards Jr. has reached base in 13 straight games.
• First series victory over Lamar since defeating them 2-1 in 2023.
• McNeese has scored in 46 consecutive games.
• Multi-Hit Games: Easton Dowell, Davis Meche, Conner Westenburg
• Coach Hill is off to his best start at 14-4 at the helm. His former best start was 12-4 in 2017.
• Every Poke pitcher recorded at least one strikeout in the outing.
• McNeese has earned 10+ hits in 10 games this season.
• McNeese earned five doubles in the performance.
• Six runs scored in the sixth is tied for the second-largest inning this season for the Pokes.