Cowboys Suffer 5-4 Loss in Extra Innings to Demons

LAKE CHARLES - After trading runs all night, the McNeese Cowboys (26-21, 11-9 SLC) fell 5-4 to Northwestern State (23-23, 10-10 SLC) in 10 innings Saturday night at Joe Miller Ballpark. The Cowboys now sit in a five-way tie atop the league standings.

McNeese’s four runs came on nine hits, led by a 2-for-5, two-RBI, and two-SB night with a home run from Brad Burckel, a 2-for-5 performance with two steals by Braden Duhon, and a 2-for-5 showing with an RBI for Josh Leslie.

On the mound, starter Chance Stone earned a no-decision as he pitched 4.0 innings allowing two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Cameron Foster (3-2) was charged with the loss; he entered the game with one out in the eighth inning. Foster went 2.2 innings allowing one run on a sac-fly while adding five strikeouts. Burrell Jones added two scoreless innings from the ‘pen allowing one hit.

After an error allowed NSU to jump ahead in the first inning on a sac-fly, McNeese countered with a two-run blast by Brad Burckel to put the Pokes up 2-1 after the first.

A two-run homer by Gabe Colaianni in the third put the Demons ahead 3-2 not long before Josh Leslie led off the fourth inning with his fourth home run of the year to dead-center off the batter’s eye, tying the game at three.

A sac-fly by Jake Haze allowed the Demons to go up 4-3 after six and a half, the Cowboys wouldn’t be unable to convert with the bases juiced in the home half.

With two outs in the top of the eighth, Julian Gonzales brought back a potential 3-run home run by Bryce Holmes as Gonzales made a fully extended grab over the left-field wall to end the inning. Gonzales then would score on a wild pitch to even the score at four entering the ninth inning.

Their third sac-fly of the ballgame plated the game-winning run in the 10th inning for the Demons.

NSU reliever Andrew Cossio (2-0) held McNeese to no runs while pitching the ninth and tenth earning the victory.

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Next Game: The Cowboys look to take tomorrow’s series finale on senior day, first pitch is slated for 1:05 p.m.

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