LAKE CHARLES - McNeese rallied from a 4-1 deficit with two runs in the ninth inning and had runners on first and second with two outs, but Conner Westenburg's sharp liner to the left-center field gap hung up long enough for Houston center fielder Tre Broussard to make the grab and end the game as the Cougars escaped with a 4-3 win on Tuesday night.
 
It was the eighth, one-run game between the two teams in the last 11 outings, and the third straight. McNeese defeated Houston 4-3 in 10 innings earlier in the month and lost 9-8 in 10 innings at Houston last May.
 
The loss was the third straight suffered by McNeese who falls to 30-11 overall while Houston improved to 24-20.
 
McNeese out-hit the Cougars by an 8-5 margin that included two extra base hits – a double by Matt Stancliff, his 14^th of the season, and a Larry Edwards Jr. triple, his second on the year. Stancliff and Marcus Heusohn each finished with two hits in the game.
 
NEXT UP
• McNeese will close out its regular season home slate this weekend when it hosts Stephen F. Austin for a three-game Southland Conference series.
• Friday's game will begin at 6 p.m. followed by Saturday's game at 2 and Sunday's finale at 1.
• Friday's game will also be Jace Peterson Night where the first 100 fans in attendance will get a special Jace Peterson 5x7 card.
• Sunday's game will be Senior Day.
 
PITCHERS OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher – Diego Luzzardo, UH (2-1)
Losing Pitcher – Diego Corrales, McN (0-2)
Save – Roman Richie (7)
 
WEB GEM
• Conner Westenburg made a diving grab on a dying blooper in shallow center field for the first out in the top of the fourth inning.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
T3 – Kenneth Jimenez reached on a two-out single then scored when Aaron Lugo followed with a two-run home run over the left-center field wall. Houston 2-0.
 
B4 – McNeese broke up the perfect game, no-hitter and shutout in the same inning beginning with Conner Westenburg leading off by getting hit-by-a-pitch. He moved to third on a failed pick-off attempt at 1B then scored on a balk. Houston 2-1.
 
T6 – Lugo reached on a one-out HBP, advanced to second on a wild pitch then scored on a double by Xavier Perez. Following a McNeese pitching change, Tre Broussard singled to right field, advancing Perez to third. Anthony Avalos then laid down a safety squeeze to score Perez. Houston 4-1.
 
B9 – Marcus Heusohn led-off with a double down the right-field line and scored Larry Edwards Jr. drove a 2-2 pitch into the RF corner for a triple to pull McNeese to within 4-2. McNeese trimmed the lead to 4-3 following a sacrifice line out to right field by Mack Brousseau.
 
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
B7 – Connor Schneider got a two-out pinch-hit up the middle but tried to leg it into a double and was thrown out by the center fielder.
 
B8 – Grant Mangrum doubled to the left-center gap with one out in the inning. A strikeout followed but Matt Stancliff was hit-by-a-pitch next up with two outs. Another strikeout followed to end the inning and leave the runners stranded.
 
B9 – After scoring two runs to pull to within 4-3, Simon Larranaga drew a two-out walk, putting the tying run on base and winning run at the plate. A wild pitch advanced pinch-runner Bryce Fontenot to second base and in scoring position. Grant Mangrum was then hit-by-a-pitch to put runners on first and second. The two would be left stranded after a hard line out to center field by Westenburg to end the game.