Lake Charles – McNeese Cowboys (2-4) dropped game two of their three game series against Kansas (4-2), 8-2, on Saturday at Joe Miller Ballpark.
 
The Jayhawks starting pitcher Mathis Nayral held the Cowboys scoreless through two innings while the Kansas offense built a 6-0 lead.
 
Kansas struck first in the top of the first when Brady Ballinger singled through the left side to score Jordan Bach, then Tyson Leblance doubled to center field to bring in Dariel Osoria and Ballinger. Josh Dykhoff double to right field to score Leblanc from second to put the Jayhawks up 4-0 at the end of the first.
 
In the top of the second Ballinger singled down the right field line to score Bach from second, followed up with a sac fly by Leblanc to score Osoria to build the lead to 6-0. Bach then reached on a fielder's choice to bring in Cade Baldridge to add to another run.
 
The Cowboys got on the board in the bottom of the third when Marcus Heausohn walked and Matt Stancliff would score off a wild pitch. Another run would come across of the board for the Cowboys courtesy of a Stancliff homer to right field.
 
Kansas would add one more run in the top of the eighth on a Baldridge single to right field to score Ballinger to bring the lead to 8-2. 
 
Nayral finished the game with five innings pitched, giving up two runs on four hits, walked two and struck out six in picking up the win to move to 2-0 on the season.
 
Cowboy starter Cooper Golden took the loss after he allowed six runs on seven hits in 1.1 innings of work.
 
The series will conclude Sunday with first pitch at 11 a.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
Pitchers of Record:

Winning Pitcher: Mathis Nayral (2-0)
Losing Pitching: Cooper Golden (0-1)

How It Happened:

T1 – Ballinger singled through the left side to score Bach, KU 1-0
T1 – Leblanc doubled to center field to score Osoria and Ballinger, KU 3-0
T1 – Dykhoff doubled to right field to score Leblanc, KU 4-0
T2 – Ballinger singled down the right field line to score Bach, KU 5-0
T2 – Leblanc hit a sac fly to left field to score Osoria, KU 6-0
T3 – Bach reached on a fielder's choice and scored Baldridge, KU 7-0
B3 – Heusohn walked and Stancliff scored on a wild pitch, KU 7-1
B5 – Stancliff homered to right field, KU 7-2
T8 – Baldridge singled to right field to score Ballinger, KU 8-2
 
Up Next

Feb. 22 vs Kansas 11AM
Feb. 24 at LSU 6:30 PM
Feb. 27 at Nicholls 6PM*
Feb. 28 at Nicholls 6PM*
Mar. 1 at Nicholls 2PM*
Mar. 3 at Southern 6PM
*Denotes Conference Game
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