LAKE CHARLES, La. – HBU scored six runs in the fourth and took a 7-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh, but McNeese plated a pair in the seventh, then exploded for 10 runs in the eighth to salvage the Southland Conference series finale, 13-7, Sunday afternoon at Joe Miller Ballpark.
Junior centerfielder
Austin Roccaforte went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, two RBIs and scored a run, while junior shortstop
Diego Davila also went 3-for-5. For the Huskies (8-16, 2-1 SLC). Junior catcher
Parker Edwards was 2-for-4 with a double and scored run and has an extra-base hit in nine of his last 11 games. Junior third baseman
Reed Chumley homered and scored twice and junior first baseman
Tyler LaRue went 1-for-4 with an RBI and run.
Junior righthander
Will Ripoll allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts in 6.1 innings. Senior lefthander
Austin Spinney (1-3) took the loss, allowing two runs of two hits in one-third of an inning.
Josh Leslie went 3-for-5 with a home run, six RBIs and scored twice to lead the comeback for the Cowboys (12-12, 1-2). Braden Duhon went 3-for-5 with a triple, an RBI and a run and Julian Gonzales went 2-for-5 with a triple and a run. Kade Morris homered and drove in a pair.
Sean-Michael Bradley notched the win, holding the Huskies scoreless on a hit with a strikeout in one inning of relief. Starter Chance Stone gave up four runs, two earned, on three hits with a strikeout and four walks in 3.1 innings.
Edwards got the fourth-inning rally started with a double. LaRue and junior catcher
Kevin Ortiz each had RBI singles and Roccaforte had a two-run triple. Chumley led off the seventh with a home run to extend the Huskies' lead to 7-1.
Morris hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to cut HBU's lead to four.
Leslie's three-run home run in the eighth cut the Huskies' lead to one and the Cowboys tied when Connor Westerburg scored on Bourque's bunt single. Duhon delivered a triple to right to give McNeese the lead and the Cowboys capped the rally with back-to-back two-run singles by Leslie and Jordan Yeatts.
The Huskies return to action when they travel to face UT Rio Grande Valley Tuesday in Edinburg, before hosting New Orleans in conference play next weekend at Husky Field.
