Logos from Southland Conference and sportslogos.net
The McNeese Cowboys baseball team fell 18-9 to the Lamar Cardinals on Friday evening in Hammond. The loss forces the if necessary game between these two teams tomorrow, with a spot in the SLC Tourney Championship on the line.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Entering this game, McNeese was undefeated in the tournament with Lamar having one loss. That meant a McNeese win would propel them into the SLC Tournament Championship, but a Lamar win would force another game between the two tomorrow. The first inning began in quiet fashion for both teams, and we went to the second inning 0-0.
In the second inning, the scoring barrage began for both teams. After a walk and a single for Lamar, Austin Roccaforte came through with a two-run single to give them an early lead. Another sacrifice fly later in the inning made it 3-0.
That was answered in the bottom half by the Cowboys. After a single, Chase Keeton got things going with an RBI triple. That was immediately followed by a two-run home run by Peyton LeJeune. That was LeJeune’s third home run in his last two games, matching the three he hit during the entire regular season.
In the top of the third, Lamar got a solo home run from former Acadiana Cane Cutter River Orsak and a two-run shot from Jack Schell. McNeese answered with a solo homer of their own by Simon Larranaga and an RBI double from Braley Hollins. After three innings, it was 6-5 Lamar.
Things would continue in the fourth. Brayden Evans and Orsak both hit solo home runs for Lamar to extend the lead. However, McNeese answered with three. A run scored on an error before Larranaga hit his second homer in as many innings, this one a two-run job to tie the score at eight.
The scoring settled down after that, as Brock Barthelemy gave McNeese two and a third innings of relief, allowing just one run on the second Orsak homer. The score stayed 8-8 until Orsak came up to the plate again. He hit his third home run of the game and his fifth of the day (He had two in Lamar’s win over Incarnate Word this morning). This one was a two-run shot to make it 10-8.
The bottom of the seventh saw McNeese come up with an answer. Elliot Hebert hit a solo home run to make it a one-run game at 10-9. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, that was the closest they would get the rest of the way.
In the top of the eighth, Lamar exploded for eight runs. The big blow came as a grand slam from Zak Skinner. Cowboy pitching struggled mightily to throw strikes in the inning, and the Cardinals were able to capitalize. All in all, it extended the lead to 18-9 and put Lamar comfortably in front. They held on 18-9.
BIG NUMBER: 36
Lamar scored 36 runs total in one day to survive in the SLC Tourney. They got 18 against Incarnate Word in the morning and 18 more against McNeese in the evening.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: River Orsak
It is not often you see a player hit multiple home runs in a game. It is even rarer to see a player do it twice in the same day. Orsak hit five total home runs, and three in this game against McNeese. He helped that offensive outburst that the Lamar offense got on Friday.
UP NEXT: These two teams will battle again tomorrow, this time in a win or go home situation for both teams. First pitch from Alumni Field in Hammond is set for either 9 AM or 1 PM, depending on if the other if necessary game is necessary.