After winning 7-3 on Friday and 9-4 on Saturday, McNeese needed to go to extra innings on Sunday to complete the sweep over Texas A&M – Corpus Christi but a three-run home run by Simon Larranaga in the 10th was the difference in a high-scoring 13-10 win to improve to 24-22 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Zach Garcia got the start on the mound for the Islanders and allowed one hit in the first two innings. McNeese’s Conner Westenburg reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second on a throwing error but Elliot Hebert fouled out at first base to end the opening frame.
Braden Duhon was the batter who got the first hit on Garcia at the top of the second but was stranded after Chase Keeton grounded out and Ethan Dowell popped up to first base.
Caleb Strmiska began the game on the mound for the Cowboys and allowed a single to Cole Modgling. Strmiska recovered and struck out Corpus Christi’s Garrett Gruell and Sebastian Trinidad to end the first inning. Then in the second, the 6’9″ sophomore right-handed pitcher struck out two more in Josh Blount and Logan Vaughan as the game remained scoreless.
McNeese put up the game’s first run in the third as leadoff Simon Larranaga doubled down the right field line. Then, Cooper Hext hit the RBI single and advanced to second as the Cowboys went up by a run.
After a scoreless fourth inning, McNeese extended its lead in the fifth. Larranaga singled into left field with two outs, and Hext hit a two-run home run to put the Cowboy up three. The Islanders then cut into that lead at the bottom of the frame.
Vaughan walked and Mason Persons hit a sac bunt to advance Vaughn. Leadoff Issac Webb put the first run on the board for Corpus Christi with an RBI single into left-center field. McNeese skipper Justin Hill changed the pitcher after that hit to Ty Abraham. Webb stole second base and then scored on a single by Modgling to make a 3-2 game in favor of the Cowboys.
Strmiska finished the day with four strikeouts, four hits, and two runs allowed in four and a third innings pitched.
McNeese extended their lead in the seventh with a five-run inning. Maddox Thornton came in at the beginning of the inning for Garcia whose final stats were six hits and three runs allowed in six innings.
Dowell’s single got things started while Peyton Lejeune came in to pinch run for the second baseman. Grant Mangrum then hit a single to third base and Larranaga’s RBI single put the Cowboys up by two. Hext was walked to load the bases and Westenburg helped score two more with a single into right field but Westenburg advanced to second on a throwing error. Hebert’s single up the middle scored Westenburg and Hext to put McNeese up by six.
The Islanders responded at the bottom of the seventh with four runs of their own. Persons and Webb walked with one out and JT Moeller came in to pitch for Abraham. Modgling loaded the bases with a single and then Gruell scored one with a hit into center field. Trinidad’s double borough home two more and made McNeese made another pitching change, this time Cameron Lejeune came on to pitch. Chance Reisdorph’s sac fly scored one more run and made it an 8-6 game headed to the eighth.
McNeese scored another run in the next inning as Larranaga reached first on a throwing error by second base. That play also scored an unearned run by Keeton who was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and put the Cowboys back up by three.
Chrisitan Smith-Johnson hit a solo shot at the bottom of the eighth, then Persons reached second base on an overthrow by third base and advanced to third on a ground out by Webb. Modgling hit a two-out RBI single to make it a one-run game heading into the ninth.
Bryce Logan pinch-ran for for Trinidad after he was walked and advanced after a sac bunt. Stephen Hom came in to pinch-hit for Blount and hit the RBI double to tie the game. Smith-Johnson was intentionally walked but Lejeune forced two groundouts to send the game to extra innings.
McNeese took a huge lead in the 10th as Duhon started with a single, then advanced to third on a throwing error by the pitcher. Keeton walked and LeJeune got the RBI to give the Cowboys the lead. Larranaga extended that lead with a three-run blast over the right-field wall.
That home run helped elevate McNeese elevate over Texas A&M – Corpus Christi with a 13-10 extra-innings win as the Islanders couldn’t put together enough runs to make the comeback.
BIG NUMBER: 5
There were five total errors in Sunday’s windy game with four coming from the Islander’s side. Those errors by Corpus Christi helped McNeese secure the series and become two games above. 500 on the season.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Simon Larranaga
The leadoff man for the Cowboys went 4/6 from the plate, scored four runs, and had four RBI. The junior also had a three-run home run in the 10th inning to help give McNeese the 13-9 win over Texas A&M – Corpus Christi and improve to 24-22.
UP NEXT: The McNeese Cowboys baseball team will return home on Tuesday, May 7th to take on the Southern Jaguars. First pitch at Joe Miller Ballpark is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.