HOUSTON – HBU pulled ahead with a pair of runs in the sixth, then tacked on three more in the eighth for a 7-3 victory over McNeese in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday at Husky Field, after the Huskies dropped a 7-1 decision to the Cowboys in game one.
 
In the second game, junior second baseman Jake Miller went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run to extend his hitting streak to six games. Senior leftfielder Lane Botkin went 2-for-4, with a triple, scored twice and gunned down a would-be tying run at the plate for an outfield assist. Senior centerfielder Chase Talbot went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run, junior catcher Todd Jackson went 2-for-3 with a walk and senior third baseman Nathan Soriano drove in a pair of runs, both the tying and go-ahead tallies. Senior rightfielder Brandon Bena also drove in two runs.
 
Sophomore righthander Morris Austin (1-0) earned his first win at HBU, shutting McNeese out on one hit with two strikeouts in two innings of relief, while junior righthander Andrew Reitmeyer notched his first save this season by getting the last four outs. Junior lefthander Austin Spinney allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits with three strikeouts in 5.2 innings in a no-decision.
 
Payton Harden went 2-for-5 for the Cowboys, while Julian Gonzales went 1-for-2 with a double and scored twice. Nate Fisbeck doubled and drove in a run.
 
Cameron Foster (0-1) took the loss, allowing four runs, two earned, on two hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 2.1 innings. Starter Ty Abraham gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits with eight strikeouts and four walks in five innings.
 
McNeese took an early lead when Jake Dickerson doubled to lead off the second and Gonzales was hit by a pitch. After HBU cut down Dickerson at the plate, a Spinney errant pickoff throw allowed Gonzales to score.
 
HBU answered in the bottom half when Botkin led off with a triple and scored on freshman shortstop Sebastian Trinidad's sacrifice fly.
 
The Cowboys regained the lead in the third as Tre Obregon singled with two outs and Fisbeck followed with an RBI double.
 
Sophomore first baseman Brennen Bales singled in the fourth and later scored on Talbot's RBI single to tie the game, 2-2.
 
In the sixth, Ben David was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to put the Cowboys back on top, 3-2, but the Huskies loaded the bases in the bottom half of the frame. Soriano then laid down a squeeze bunt and two runs were able to score to give HBU a 4-3 lead.
 
HBU scored three more in the eighth on an RBI single by Miller and a two-run single by Bena.
 
In the first game, Miller went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Bales went 1-for-2 and scored a run for the Huskies.
 
Senior righthander Jacob Coats (0-3) took the loss, giving up four runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts and three walks in five innings. Sophomore righthander Knight Newcomb tossed two perfect innings in relief, striking out two.
 
Harden went 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice and Obregon went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs for the Cowboys. Reid Bourque was 2-for-4, driving in a pair and scoring a run.
 
Will Dion (2-2) went the distance for McNeese, allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks in seven innings.
 
The series concludes with a 2 p.m. first pitch Sunday.