Box Score Box Score
HAMMOND – Lee Orr went 3-for-5 with three doubles and two RBI while Kyler Crenshaw and Jace Peterson belted home runs as McNeese State withstood a late Southeastern rally and posted an 8-4 Southland Conference victory Friday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
The series resumes on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the internet at www.LionSports.net. Southeastern will send right-hander
Joseph Koon (2-1, 6.10 ERA) to the mound while McNeese State will counter with right-hander Matt Click (1-1, 3.28 ERA).
McNeese State (11-8, 3-1 SLC) came out aggressive from the start as Blake Ellender led off with a single, Peterson drew a walk and Orr doubled off Southeastern starter
Brandon Efferson (3-1) to drive in both runners for a 2-0 lead. The Cowboys took a 3-0 lead in the inning when Renny Weber hit an RBI single to center field – one of four hits in the frame.
The Cowboys took a 5-1 lead in the third as Orr led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a ground out and scored on Weber's double center. Weber would score two batters later when Crenshaw reached on a two-out throwing error at first.
Southeastern (12-6, 3-1 SLC) cut the lead to 3-1 in the first inning on an RBI single by
Josh Cryer and 5-2 in the fourth when
Joe Sparacino launched his first home run of the season.
Crenshaw led off the sixth inning for McNeese with his first home run – and the Cowboys' second homer of the season – that gave the Cowboys a 6-2 lead. Peterson chased Efferson four batters later when he belted his first homer, a two-run blast to right, that gave McNeese State an 8-2 lead.
Southeastern added a run in the sixth when Sparacino reached on an error, moved to second on a passed ball and scored in a single to right by
Brock Hebert. The Lions cut the lead to 8-4 with no outs in the ninth when
Cass Hargis greeted Cowboy reliever Jordan Legros with a bases-loaded RBI single to right.
Zach Butler (3-0) pitched eight innings and scattered six hits to earn the win for McNeese State, which won its fourth straight over Southeastern since last season including twice in the Southland Conference Tournament. Efferson allowed 10 hits and seven earned runs in 5.2 innings for Southeastern while recording eight strikeouts.
Legros, who notched his sixth save of the year, got
Jonathan Pace to hit a fly ball to right field for the first out and Orr got
Trey Martin in a rundown between second and third for a rare 9-6-5-4 double play. Legros then closed out the game when he fanned
Justin Boudreaux on a 3-and-2 pitch.
Sparacino, who entered the game 4-for-38 on the season, went 2-for-3 and scored three times to lead Southeastern while Hargis went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Pace added a first-inning single to extend his hitting streak to 15 games for the Lions.
Jacob Ott and
Steven Poche pitched 1.2 innings each of scoreless relief for Southeastern.
Tickets are available by calling the Southeastern Athletic Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or on-line at www.LionSports.net.
Fans attending Saturday's game will receive free key chains courtesy of First Guaranty Bank.
McNeese State....... 302 003 000 - 8 11 2 (11-8, 3-1 SLC)
Southeastern La..... 100 101 001 - 4 7 1 (12-6, 3-1 SLC)
Butler, Lloyd (9), Legros (9) and Daly. Efferson, Ott (6), Poche (8) and Cryer. W – Butler (3-0). Sv. – Legros (6). L - Efferson (3-1). E – Daly (1), Butler (3), Martin (2). DP – McNeese State 2. LOB – McNeese State 7, SLU 8. 2B - Orr 3 (11), Weber (4), Hargis (4). HR – Peterson (1), Crenshaw (1), Sparacino (1). HBP - Eubanks, Sparacino, Martin. SB – Hebert (12), Martin (6). T - 2:43. A – 837.
