LAKE CHARLES, La. – Carson Jones picked up a career high six RBIs,
Henry Shuffler threw five strong innings for the second straight week against McNeese and
Carson Orton extinguished the late Cowboy rally as ULM defeated McNeese, 8-7, Tuesday night at Joe Miller Ballpark.
McNeese took the lead in the bottom of the first as Julian Gonzales hit a two-out RBI double, scoring Braden Duhon. However, Kade Hunter was thrown out at home on the play to end the inning with the Cowboys up, 1-0.
ULM answered and took the lead in the second. Jones hit a sacrifice fly to score
Travis Washburn and, with two outs,
Trace Henry connected on an RBI single to plate
Michelle Artzberger for the 2-1 lead.
McNeese answered back. With one out, Reid Bourque hit a single to right that bounced past Henry and to the wall, allowing Jordan Yeatts to score from first base to tie the game at two. Bourque was thrown out trying to advance to third on the play and Shuffler closed out the inning to keep it tied at two.
ULM responded in the top of the third. McNeese relief pitcher Brett Payne walked four batters in the inning, but a baserunning mistake by ULM left the bases loaded with two outs. Jones came through with a bases-clearing double against the Cowboys for the second consecutive week, this time going to right center to score
Colby Deaville, Washburn and Artzberger. Jones was thrown out trying to stretch the double into a triple to end the inning with ULM up, 5-2.
The Cowboys plated a run in the third. A walk to Hunter and a double by Leslie put runners on second and third with one out. A balk brought home Hunter to cut the gap to 5-3. However, Shuffler struck out the next two hitters to get out of the inning with the lead intact.
ULM again added to the lead in the fifth inning. With nobody on and two outs, Washburn reached base on a dropped third strike and Artzberger walked. After a wild pitch, Jones followed with a 2-RBI single for his fifth and sixth RBIs.
Matthew Lee added an RBI single of his own to bring home Jones for the 8-3 advantage.
McNeese made its charge in the eighth inning. Cooper Hext hit a 2-run home run and Duhon added an RBI single to cut the gap to 8-6. With runners on second and third and just one out, head coach
Michael Federico brought in
Reid Goleman from the bullpen, who retired the next two batters on a total of two pitches to escape the jam with the 8-6 lead.
In the ninth, Goleman allowed a leadoff double to Josh Leslie.
Carson Orton entered out of the bullpen and picked up a strikeout, but then hit Hext with a pitch to put two runners on base. Yeatts hit a single to load the bases before Bourque grounded into an RBI fielder's choice to bring home Leslie to make it a one-run game. After Bourque moved down to second to put the potential tying run on third and the potential winning run on second, Orton struck out Kade Morris to end the game and earn his sixth save.
Shuffler (2-2) earned his second win, tossing five innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits with three walks and a career high six strikeouts while throwing a career high 90 pitches.
Nicholas Judice threw two shutout innings while Orton did not allow a run in the final 2/3 of an inning, giving up one hit with two strikeouts for the save. Payne took the loss, allowing three runs on no hits with four walks over 1/3 of an inning.
Henry had three hits to pace ULM, while Jones and Artzberger had two hits each. Leslie had three hits to lead McNeese.
The Warhawks return to Sun Belt Conference play at 6 p.m. Friday at Little Rock.
