LAKE CHARLES – McNeese earned a season-high 21 runs in its 21-3 seven-inning run-rule victory over Alcorn baseball at Joe Miller Ballpark Tuesday evening to extend its winning streak to five games. The Cowboys improve to 20-5 on the season as the Braves fall to 4-21.
 
McNeese is off to its best start since the 1991 campaign and continue its best start under the helm of head coach Justin Hill.
 
Alcorn plated the initial run of the game in the first on a solo home run as junior Parker Morgan struck out the two preceding batters and ensuing hitter. 
 
Cowboy leadoff hitter Conner Westenburg, a senior, plated the first run for the Cowboys after reaching base on a walk, stealing second, and coming home on an RBI single by junior Matt Stancliff in the bottom frame of the first. With bases loaded, junior Larry Edwards Jr. stepped up to the plate in the five hole to send all the base runners home on a three-RBI double for a 4-1 advantage. He came home from third after reaching on a wild pitch on a foul flyout by redshirt sophomore Easton Dowell.
 
The Braves got their second run of the ballgame in the second inning on an errant throw.
 
The Cowboys earned four runs with two outs recorded in the second inning to lead 9-2 after two. Edwards Jr. send home two runners on a single to right field, with senior Grant Mangrum and Westenburg crossing home plate. Stancliff scored on the same play on an errant throw by the right fielder. Edwards Jr. came home on an RBI single by graduate student Davis Meche in the next at-bat.
 
McNeese tallied five runs in the third inning, the first two coming on a two-RBI double by Stancliff to drive in Westenburg and Mangrum to make it 11-2. The 12^th run for the Pokes happened when sophomore Mack Brousseau singled up the middle to bring home Stancliff. The 13^th came when senior Marcus Heusohn scored on a single by Meche up the middle. Mangrum sent in the final run of the frame on a bases-loaded walk to make it 14-2.
 
After a quiet fourth inning, McNeese plated two as Dowell scored on a single by Westenburg in the fifth before the latter scored on a failed pickoff attempt turned into an error. The Braves plated one run in the top half of the inning.
 
Five runs were scored in the bottom of the sixth for the Pokes with Larranaga scoring on a wild pitch before Edwards Jr. crossed home on an RBI fielder's choice by junior Connor Schneider. Schneider scored on a double down the third-base line by Westenburg. Pinch hitter Gage Trahan, a sophomore, hit a two-RBI single to left field, driving in redshirt junior Braley Hollins and sophomore Seth Fontenot.

Six of seven pitchers recorded at least one strikeout in the outing with graduate student Parker Primeaux recording his first win as a Cowboy.
 
The Cowboys continue their home stand against New Orleans in their return to SLC action at Joe Miller Ballpark starting Friday night.
 
Pitching Appearances
Parker Morgan: 1.0 IP, 3 K's, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 ER
Marcus Mott: 1.0 IP, 1 K, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 ER
Diego Corrales: 1.0 IP, 1 K, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER
Paul Coppinger: 1.0 IP, 1 K, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 ER
Jake Blackwell: 1.0 IP, 2 K's, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 ER
Parker Primeaux: 1.0 IP, 2 K's, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, Win
Brady Corcoran: 1.0 IP, 0 K's, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 ER
 
McNeese Notes
• 21 runs are the most runs scored by McNeese this season.
• The 21 runs are the most scored by the Pokes since the 2022 season when they scored 23 against Houston Christian.
• Parker Primeaux earned his first victory of the season.
• Six of seven pitchers recorded a strikeout in the outing.
• Only one pitcher allowed a walk in the outing. 
• Mack Brousseau has reached base in 16 consecutive games.
• Conner Westenburg has reached base in 15 straight games.
• Larry Edwards Jr. leads the team with a six-game hitting streak.
• The Cowboys have recorded10+ strikeouts in 13 games this season.
• McNeese has recorded 10+ hits in 16 games this season.
• The Cowboys have scored in 24 of 25 games and two or more runs in 23 games.
• Multi-Hit Games: Larry Edwards Jr., Davis Meche, Matt Stancliff, Mack Brousseau, Conner Westenburg