Feb. 17, 2006

Final Stats

McNeese State dropped an 8-1 decision to Southeast Missouri State here Friday as the Cowboys opened their home baseball season.

The Cowboys, now 2-4 on the season, took an early 1-0 lead with Tyler Dugas plating Bryan Cartie with the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning. Both players had singled.

Southeast Missouri, now 1-1, was held in check for the better part of four innings by Cowboy starter Derek Blacksher. In the fifth, however, the Red Hawks shoved four runs across to take the lead for good.

Blacksher, now 1-1, was the losing pitcher for the Cowboys, giving up six hits and four runs in 4.1 innings. He struckout five batters.

Southeast Missouri went on to collect 10 total hits in the game and add single runs in the sixth and seventh innings and two runs in the eighth. Derek Herbig, who started for the Red Hawks, collected the pitching victory, his first decision of the season.

McNeese was held to only four hits and besides Cartie and Dugas, the other Cowboy safeties were collected by Chris Fontenot and Jeramie Broussard. Leading the Southeast Missouri hit parade with three hits was Daniel Schuh while Jordan Payne had two hits.

The two teams will continue their series on Saturday at 12 noon and will play a third and final game on Sunday at 1 p.m.