March 22, 2008

Box Score

By Josh Brown

McNeese SID Intern

Lake Charles, LA

The McNeese State Cowboys completed a clean sweep of the Nicholls State Colonels here Saturday afternoon to get back to .500 in Southland Conference play.

The Cowboys are now 6-14 on the year while leveling its SLC record to 3-3. The Colonels fell to 4-16 on the year while going to 1-5 in SLC action.

Ryan Frantz pitched 7.2 innings while giving up four earned runs on six hits and striking out four

Starter Ryan Frantz provided a gritty performance for the Cowboys as he went seven and two-thirds of an inning, giving up five runs, four of them earned, on six hits while he walked two and struck out four to improve to 1-4 on the season.

Reliever Justin LeBleu came on to pitch the last inning and one-third to get his second save of the series while giving up only one hit.

The Colonels were able to get on the board first in this game, as they plated two runs on consecutive hits, a Shane Barksdale double to score a run and a single by Anthony Wray to bring Barksdale around to make it 2-0 after half of an inning.

The Cowboys answered back, tacking on three runs in the first inning for the third consecutive day. Andy Riche and Sam Merrill opened the inning on consecutive walks before a Shon Landry infield single loaded the bases for the Cowboys.

Taylor Freeman then walked to bring home Riche and put the Cowboys on the board. Nick Eubanks and Keith Patnode then each hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to put the Cowboys up 3-2 after one inning.

Nicholls took the lead in the third inning when Wray singled to left field to bring home Walter Jones. The throw appeared to beat Jones but the home plate umpire did not agree and the score was tied at 3-3.

Barksdale then scored on an error to put the Colonels up 4-3 after two and a half innings.

The Cowboys answered back, taking the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning when Bryn Thompson singled and Josh Cholley reached base on an attempted sacrifice bunt to put runners at first and second.

Merrill then singled up the middle to plate Thompson. Freeman followed that up with a double to right-center field to plate both Cholley and Merrill and put the Cowboys up 6-4.

Nicholls added one run in the sixth to pull within 6-5, but the Pokes added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings to put the lead back at three, the final margin in all three games of the series.

In the seventh, Merrill singled and stole second base before Freeman and Eubanks were walked to load the bases. Patnode hit the ball sharply for an out, but was able to bring across another run to make it 7-5.

In the eighth, Cholley singled before being advanced on a Mace Hebert sacrifice bunt to move him to second base. Shon Landry produced an infield single to put runners on first and third.

Freeman once again walked to load the bases before Eubanks drew another walk, this time plating a run for the Cowboys to go up 8-5.

The Cowboys were led offensively by Taylor Freeman, who was 1-for-2 with three RBI and three walks. Merrill, Landry and Thompson each had two hits for the Cowboys.

Cholley also added one hit for the Cowboys. Eubanks and Patnode had two RBI each while Merrill had one on the day.

Justin LeBleu worked 3 and 1/3 innings this weekend, giving up only two hits and no runs while picking up two saves

LeBleu earned his second save of the season, as well as the weekend, pitching a total of 3 and one-third innings in the series while giving up only two hits and striking out one in his two appearances.

The Cowboys are back in action on Tuesday as they face the Houston Cougars at Cowboy Diamond with a start time of 6:30 PM. The Cowboys then face Grambling at 6:30 PM on Wednesday night with a start time of 6:30 PM.

McNeese State sponsored an Easter egg hunt for kids following Saturday's game with Nicholls State.