HOUSTON – After HBU tied the game on two occasions, McNeese State scored once in the eighth, then twice more in the ninth to hold off the Huskies, 5-2, to claim the Southland Conference series finale Saturday afternoon at Husky Field.
Junior shortstop
Louie Payetta went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, while junior second baseman
Greg Espinosa singled and drove in the other run for the Huskies (7-8, 1-2 SLC). Senior pitcher
Curtis Jones and junior leftfielder
Brandon Morones each doubled.
Jones (1-2) took the loss, allowing three runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and no walks, on three day's rest.
Connor Crane went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run, while Joe Provenzano went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a pair of runs. Billy Sommers and Connor Lloyd each went 2-for-4 for the Cowboys (11-5, 2-1).
Ethan Stremmel (2-0) picked up the win for McNeese, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits in 4.1 innings of relief. Starter Trent Fontenot did not allow a run, but walked three and gave up two hits in 2.2 innings. Collin Kober earned his fourth save of the year, pitching two perfect innings and striking out three.
Provenzano led off the third with a single for McNeese, then Andrew Guillotte flied out to left. Sommers, Crane and Lewis Guilbeau followed with three-straight singles to put the Cowboys ahead 1-0, but James Cantu grounded into a double play to end the threat.
Junior third baseman
Andrew Alvarez walked to lead off the fourth for HBU, then went wto second on a sacrifice bunt by Morones. Espinosa bounced a single up the middle and Alvarez beat the throw to the plate to tie the game, 1-1.
The Cowboys answered back in the fifth when Provenzano again led off with a single. Crane delievered a two-out, RBI double to the gap in leftcenter to put McNeese back on top, 2-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, senior centerfielder
Zach Nehrir reached on a two-out error, then stole second and scored on an RBI single by Payetta to tie the game, 2-2.
Guilbeau was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth, then Jones came out of the game. Senior lefthander
Brandon Hammerly was greeted by a single by Cantu, then an errant throw on a pickoff attempt moved the runners into scoring position. Lloyd popped up and Matt Gallier was intentionally walked to load the bases. Cameron Toole struck out for the second out, but Provenzano walked to bring in the go-ahead run.
In the ninth, the Cowboys added a pair of runs on sacrifice flies by Cantue and Gallier.
The Huskies return to action when they hit the road to face UTSA Tuesday at 6 p.m., before returning home to host Iowa in a four-game series Saturday through Tuesday at Husky Field.
