RUSTON – A fifth-inning, two-run home run by Danny Barbero gave McNeese a 3-2 lead then the stellar bullpen work of four Cowboy relievers stifled Louisiana Tech for seven innings as the Cowboys picked up a nice mid-week road win on Wednesday night while handing the Bulldogs their first loss on the year.
 
Barbero added to his offensive out pour with an RBI double in the seventh inning to make it 4-2, then the Cowboys tacked on four insurance runs in the top of the ninth to make it 8-3.
 
The win evened the Cowboys' record to 2-2 while Louisiana Tech fell to 4-1.
 
McNeese will begin a three-game home series on Friday against Kansas. 
 
The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick lead against the Cowboys when Colby Lunsford hit a two-run homer to make it 2-0.
 
McNeese got on the board in the top of the fourth when Larry Edwards Jr. hit an RBI grounder that scored Hayden Stringfellow to cut the deficit to 2-1. Stringfellow finished 4-for-5 at the plate with a double, RBI, and two runs scored. 
 
In the fifth inning, Connor Schneider led off with a double and after two outs followed, Barbero homered to deep center to score Schneider, giving the Cowboys a 3-2 lead. It was Barbero's second home run of the young season.
 
Lunsford popped his second home run of the game with a solo shot in the seventh to cut into McNeese's lead, 4-3.
 
The Cowboy bats came alive in the ninth inning with RBI singles by Stringfellow, Marcus Heusohn, Easton Dowell, and an RBI hit-by-pitch to Bryce Fontenot. 
 
Jake Blackwell, the third of five pitchers to take the mound for McNeese, picked up the win after he threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Parker Morgan started the game and allowed two runs on two hits in two innings.
 
Eric Nachtsheim earned the save after throwing two scoreless innings with one hit allowed and three strikeouts.
 
Four Cowboy relief pitchers combined to throw seven innings and gave up just one run, six hits, and struck out 11 out of the 13 on the night
 
Friday's series opener against Kansas will carry a 6 p.m. first pitch. 
 
Pitchers of Record:

Winning Pitcher: Jake Blackwell (1-0)
Save: Eric Nachtsheim (1)
Losing Pitching: Luke Cooley (0-1)

How It Happened:

B1 – C. Lunsford homered to score C. Coates, LA Tech 2-0
T4 – Larry Edwards Jr. ground out to 2^nd to bring in Hayden Stringfellow, LA Tech 2-1
T5 – Danny Barbero homered to deep right center to bring in Connor Schneider, McNeese 3-2
T7 – Danny Barbero doubled to right field to score Kaden Schuck, McNeese 4-2
B7 – C. Lunsford homered, McNeese 4-3
T9 – Hayden Stringfellow singled through the right side to bring in Kaden Schuck, McNeese 5-3
T9 – Marcus Heusohn singled to shallow right field to drive in Matt Stancliff, McNeese 6-3
T9 – Bryce Fontenot was hit by a pitch and brought in Daniel Pinkerton from third, McNeese 7-3
T9 – Easton Dowell single to right field to score Hayden Stringfellow, McNeese 8-3

Up Next

Feb. 20 vs Kansas 6PM
Feb. 21 vs Kansas 1PM
Feb. 22 vs Kansas 11AM
Feb. 24 at LSU 6:30 PM
 
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