HAMMOND – Northwestern State spoiled a tremendous starting pitching outing by McNeese's Sergio Lopez by scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to rally for a 7-6 win in the opening game of the 2025 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament Hammond Bracket.
 
McNeese (32-16) will play at 1 p.m. on Friday in an elimination game against the loser of Southeastern and New Orleans. Northwestern State (34-19) advances to play the winner of that game at 6 o'clock.
 
The Cowboys' Lopez recorded the longest outing of the season for any McNeese starting pitcher, throwing eight innings while allowing four earned runs, five overall, eight hits, a season-high seven strikeouts and did not walk a batter.
 
McNeese carried a 6-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth where the Demons scored two runs off relievers All-SLC pitcher Alexis Gravel and Eric Nachtsheim with both runs being credited to Gravel who was making his first appearance on the mound in three weeks after missing that time with an injury.
 
Top Hitters:
• Grant Mangrum (2-3, HR, 4 RBI, R)
• Conner Westenburg (2-4, 2B, RBI)
• Larry Edwards Jr. (2-4, R)
• Bryce Fontenot (1-2, 2B, 2 R)
 
Pitchers of Record:
W – Dylan Marionneaux (4-4) | 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
L – Alexis Gravel (4-3) | 0.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER
 
Scoring Summary:
Top 3 – Grant Mangrum homered down the LF line, 2 RBI. Bryce Fontenot scored, unearned. McN 2-0.
Bot 3 – Reese Lipoma singled up the middle, RBI; Hudson Brignac advanced to 2^nd; Brooks Leonard scored. McN 2-1.
Bot 3 – Samuel Stephenson reached on a fielder's choice; Lipoma out at second 3B to 2B; Brignac advanced to third, scored on a throwing error by 2B, unearned. 2-2.
Top 5 – Connor Schneider grounded out to 3B, RBI. Fontenot scored. McN 3-2.
Bot 5 – Rocco Gump homered to left field, 2 RBI; Stephenson scored. NSU 4-3.
Top 6 – Mangrum singled up the middle, 2 RBI; Easton Dowell scored; Larry Edwards Jr. scored. McN 5-4.
Top 6 – Conner Westenburg doubled to left field, RBI; Bryce Jones advanced to third, out at home LF to SS to C; Schneider scored. McN 6-4.
Bot 8 – Clay Jung homered to right center, RBI. McN 6-5.
Bot 9 – Stephenson singled to left center, 2 RBI; Lipoma advanced to second; Brignac scored; Bryce Johnson scored. NSU 7-6
 
Gameday Notebook:
• RF Simon Larranaga led off the batting order for the first time this season and only the fourth time someone other than Conner Westenburg to top the order.
• The Cowboys left seven runners on base, six of those in scoring position.
• McNeese left the bases loaded in the fifth inning.
• McNeese fell to 7-3 at SLU's ballpark in the last 10 SLC tournament games.
• It's the third straight game McNeese and NSU's final score has been 7-6… McNeese defeated the Demons 7-6 last Friday and NSU turned around and beat the Cowboys 7-6 in the regular season finale on Saturday.
• Alexis Gravel started the ninth inning on the mound to make his first appearance since an April 26 outing at UTRGV.
• Thursday's loss was the first, first round game for the Cowboys to lose since dropping a 2-1 decision to NSU in the 2018 tournament.