Louisiana and McNeese met up just a week after the Cowboys earned a 5-4 win over the Cajuns in Lake Charles. Will Veillon had a two-run double in a three-run sixth inning and the Cajuns retired the final 13 batters to win the contest 5-3.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
McNeese got off to a fast start in this meeting as well, very similar to the matchup in Lake Charles. Peyton Harden was walked and then stole second for his eighth steal of the season. Josh Leslie then doubled to score Harden and make it 1-0 early. Later in the inning, two more baserunners were awarded with the free pass and then a wild pitch advanced the runners to score Leslie to make it 2-0 Cowboys in the first.
The Cajuns were able to respond in the second, getting a run in from Mason Zambo on a Julian Brock RBI double to cut the McNeese lead in half, but the Cowboys were able to get out of the jam and keep the lead.
Leslie continued his great night in the third with a double to start the inning and then came around to score on an RBI single by Burckel to make it 3-1 McNeese.
Louisiana loaded up the bases in the bottom of the fourth for Luke Yuhasz, who hit a fielder’s choice to second base that scored Julian Brock, and that call was upheld after a McNeese challenge to make it 3-2 in favor of the Cowboys.
Back-to-back singles by Julian Brock and Kyle DeBarge led to a passed ball by McNeese to put runners at second and third with nobody out. John Taylor took a walk to load the bases for Will Veillon. Veillon nailed a line drive right inside the third base line to score a pair and give Louisiana the 4-3 lead.
Blake Marshall came on in the ninth inning to close the door on McNeese, retiring the final 13 Cowboys to win the game.
BIG NUMBER: 13
Louisiana retired the final 13 Cowboys to close out the game with a 5-3 win. The Cajuns also had 21 of the last 22 in the contest.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Will Veillon
Veillon delivered when it mattered most in the sixth, hitting a two-run double with the bases loaded to score a pair and give Louisiana the lead for good in the contest.
UP NEXT: Louisiana will stay at Russo Park to host High Point from the Big South conference for a three-game series while McNeese will host Prairie View A&M in Lake Charles.