THIBODAUX – McNeese starting pitcher Eric Nachtsheim made a memorable first career start, striking out a career-high nine batters while right fielder Danny Barbero picked up four hits as the Cowboys took game two and the series from Nicholls, 11-4, on Saturday in Southland Conference baseball action.
 
Winners of three straight games, the Cowboys (5-5, 2-0 SLC) will go for the series sweep on Sunday. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. The game will broadcast on ESPN+. Nicholls dropped to 4-8 and 0-2.
 
Nachtsheim (2-0), normally the Cowboys' closer but moved to the Saturday start, matched a career-high with six innings pitched and allowed one earned run and eight hits. He held the Colonels to just four hits in his final five innings of work.
 
The Cowboys struck first in the top of the first inning when Barbero scored on a wild pitch to give the Cowboys an early 1-0 lead.
 
Though, the Colonels didn't hesitate to respond in the bottom half of the inning when Caston Thompson singled to right center to score Keegan Giger to tie the game. Will Mabry would then single to right center to score Casey Artigues to give the Colonels a 2-1 lead.
 
McNeese answered right back in the second inning when they hung four runs in the frame courtesy of singles by both Barbero and Marcus Heusohn, along with Simon Larranaga scoring on a wild pitch to give the Cowboys the 5-1 upper hand.
 
Over the next two innings the Cowboys would add two more runs to their lead before the Colonels had an answer in the bottom of the 6^th when Keegan Giger singled through the right side to bring in one run.
 
The bats heated up again for the Cowboys in the seventh as they were able to plate three more runs courtesy of an Easton Dowell double, Connor Schneider's sac bunt, and Barbero's ground out. McNeese was able to put the game away in the ninth inning when Barbero singled up the middle to drive in one to give them the 11-3 lead.
 
Colonels plated one in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a Caston Thompson double down the right field line to score Giger but that was not enough as the Cowboys took game two 11-4.
 
Senior, left-hand pitcher, Parker Morgan came in as relief for Nachtsheim in the 7^th inning to pitch the two innings giving up zero runs, on one hit while walking zero and striking out three. Wyatt Wick came in to close the game in the ninth inning allowing one run on two hits and striking out one.
 
Barbero powered the Cowboys' offense going 4-for-6 night, crossing the plate two times while knocking in three runs.
 
The starter for the Colonels, Austin Vargas, pitched 1.2 innings while allowing five runs on three hits, one walk and three strikeouts on the way to his first loss of the season.
 
 
Pitchers of Record:
 
Winning Pitcher: Eric Nachtsheim (2-0)
Losing Pitching: Austin Vargas (0-1)

How It Happened:
T1 – Danny Barbero scored on a wild pitch, McNeese 1-0
B1 – Thompson singled to right center to drive in Giger, Ties 1-1
B1 – Mabry singled to right center to score Artigues, Nicholls 2-1
T2 – Simon Larranaga scored on a wild pitch, Tied 2-2
T2 – Danny Barbero singled to left field to score Connor Schneider, McNeese 3-2
T2 – Marcus Heusohn singled to right center to score two runs, McNeese 5-2
T4 – Danny Barbero singled through the left side of the infield to drive in one, McNeese 6-2
T5 – Matt Stancliff hit a sac fly to center field to bring in Connor Schneider, McNeese 7-2
B6 – Giger singled through the right side to drive in one run, McNeese 7-3
T7 – Easton Dowell doubled to left center to bring in Simon Larranaga, McNeese 8-3
T7 – Connor Schneider laid down a sac bunt to score Easton Dowell, McNeese 9-3
T7 – Danny Barbero grounded into a double play which scored Connor Schneider, McNeese 10-3
T9 – Danny Barbero singled up the middle to drive in Seth Fontenot, McNeese 11-3
B9 – Thompson doubled down the right field line to score Giger from second, McNeese 11-4
 
Up Next          
Mar. 1 at Nicholls 2PM*
Mar. 3 at Southern 6PM
Mar. 4 vs LSU-Alexandria
Mar. 6 vs Houston Christian *
Mar. 7 vs Houston Christian *
Mar. 8 vs Houston Christian *

*Denotes Conference Game
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