Game one of the Southland Conference Baseball Championship Series didn’t go the McNeese Cowboys’ way on Thursday, as they lost 9-3 to the Lamar Cardinals on the road. The loss meant the Pokes needed to win two straight games to win the tournament and punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
It came down to the final inning to decide a close, low-scoring game. The Cowboys had a chance to walk it off in the ninth, but couldn’t get it done, losing 2-1 and getting eliminated. McNeese finished runner-up in the Southland Tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The first inning flew by as McNeese’s starting pitcher, Eric Nachtsheim, struck out a pair of Lamar batters and forced another into an infield groundout. The Cowboys got one on base when Matt Stancliff walked, but the inning ended when Danny Barbero hit into a double play.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead at the top of the second, and it began with Hector Rodriguez singling into left-center field, and Jake Wagoner put runners on first and second base with a fieler’s choice to the shortstop. Rodriguez then scored an RBI single up the middle by AJ Taylor. Braden Taylor ended the inning early for Lamar by hitting into a double play.
McNeese threatened to score at the bottom of the second when Hayden Stringfellow singled into left field and Isaiah Keller walked to put runners on first and second. A groundout double play by DJ Pinkerton killed the momentum, and Marcus Heusohn struck out for the final out of the inning.
Lamar’s Chris Olivier had a strong start to the game, punching out six McNeese batters and allowing one hit through four innings on the mound. That changed in the fifth when the Pokes tied the game. Keller hit a leadoff double, and Heusohn hit an RBI single to second base to make it a 1-1 game.
The Cardinals responded in the sixth to reclaim the lead. Rodriguez led off the inning with a single, but got to third base on DJ Pinkerton’s fielding error, putting himself in scoring position with no outs. Wagoner drove Rodriguez home with a single through the left side after Evans struck out. That put the Cowboys behind by a run heading to the bottom of the sixth.
McNeese skipper Justin Hill made the pitching change from Nachtsheim to Jaden Bahl to begin the ninth inning. Bahl had a strong start, forcing the two batters he faced to pop and ground out. Then, Brenton drew Lamar’s first walk against a Cowboy pitcher. Ayden Sunday pinch ran for Brenton and was caught stealing for the final out, keeping the comeback hopes alive for the Pokes as they were down to their final three outs.
The Cardinals also made a pitching change before the ninth, switching Olivier for Julius Carpio. Stancliff and Stringfellow hit infield singles with one out, putting the game-winning run at first base. Keller’s infield pop-up was the second out and came down to Pinkerton to keep the Pokes alive. With one out remaining, Pinkerton struck out swinging, securing the 2-1 loss for McNeese and ending its season as runner-ups in the Southland Conference Baseball Championship Series. Lamar punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
BIG NUMBER: 2021
2026 marks another year that the McNeese Cowboys failed to make it to the big tournament. The last time the Pokes did so was back in 2021.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chris Olivier
Olivier earned his seventh win of the season on Friday. He finished the day with seven strikeouts, four hits, one run allowed, and two walks in eight innings of work as McNeese lost 2-1.
UP NEXT: The McNeese Cowboys baseball team will wait until next Spring to return to the diamond.