LAKE CHARLES, La. – HBU junior catcher
Parker Edwards hit a solo home run to tie the game in the ninth inning, then hit a two-run blast in the 13
th to power the Huskies to a 6-4 victory over McNeese in the Southland Conference opener Friday night at Joe Miller Ballpark.
Edwards, who went 2-for-6 with three RBIs, has an extra-base hit in seven of his last nine games for the Huskies (7-15, 1-0 SLC). Junior third baseman
Reed Chumley went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and scored a run, while senior first baseman
Jake Miller was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
Senior lefthander
Austin Spinney (1-2) earned the win, hurling three perfect innings, while striking out four. Senior righthander
Andrew Reitmeyer notched his fourth save, striking out a pair. Junior righthander
Daxton Tinker allowed four runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 4.2 innings, then
Chad Ricker,
Tim Ewald,
Trey Valka and
Tyler Zarella each threw a shutout inning and each struck out two.
Kade Hunter went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run, while Payton Harden was 2-for-5 and drove in a run for the Cowboys (11-11, 0-1). Reid Borque added a solo home run.
Andrew Sheridan (0-1) took the loss, allowing two runs on two hits in 1.2 innings. Starter Grant Rogers allowed three runs on three hits with eight strikeouts and a walk in seven innings. Cameron Foster blew the save, giving up a run on one hit with four strikeouts and two walks in three innings.
Bourque homered in the third inning, then Hunter doubled and scored on a single by Harden in the fourth to give McNeese a 2-0 lead.
HBU answered in the fifth as junior rightfielder
Logan Letney singled and scored on Chumley's RBI double. In the bottom half of the inning, the Cowboys loaded the bases and pulled off a triple steal, then Brad Burckel's RBI single extended the lead to 4-1.
In the eighth, junior centerfielder
Austin Roccaforte drew a bases-loaded walk and Miller added a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Edwards' homer with one out in the ninth, tied the game at 4-4. After Miller singled in the 13
th, Edwards came through again to give HBU its first lead of the game.
McNeese was held without a base runner in the extra innings.
The series continues with a 6 p.m. first pitch Saturday.
