March 26, 2008

Box Score

McNeese State tied school records for team doubles and individual doubles as the Cowboys turned back Grambling 14-2 in a non-conference baseball game here Wednesday night.

The Cowboys hit eight doubles as a team to tie the single game record that had been set by the 2002 team and tied by the 2003 squad. Outfielder Josh Cholley belted three doubles in the game to tie the player record that was being held by several individuals.

Lefthander Dallas Smith went six innings to collect the victory for the Cowboys, his second of the season. He had a no-hitter going through five innings and wound up giving up only two hits and an unearned run. He also struck out three batters.

The victory lifted McNeese's record on the season to 7-15 and left Grambling at 10-13. The Cowboys return to action on Friday when they begin a three game Southland Conference series with Southeastern Louisiana at Cowboy Diamond.

Led by Cholley's three doubles, the Cowboys collected 16 hits off five Grambling pitchers.

Cholley wound up going four for five with an RBI while Keith Patnode was four of five with three runs scored and an RBI. Tony Coniglio was two for four with an RBI and Kyle Lawrence, playing in his first game for the Cowboys, was one for two with two RBIs.

Kyle Lawrence drove in McNeese's first two runs of the game with his first collegiate hit.

Cholley also extended his hitting streak to nine games and Taylor Freeman extended his to seven.

McNeese opened the scoring with two runs in the second, those produced by Lawrence's first collegiate hit in his first collegiate at bat. The Cowboys went on to score one in the third, six in the fifth, two in the sixth and three in the seventh.

Grambling got single runs in the third and eighth innings.

Of McNeese's 16 hits in the game, nine were for extra bases, Cowboy Sam Merrill belting a triple. Besides the three doubles Cholley hit, other players hitting doubles for the Cowboys were Shon Landry, Freeman, Patnode, Nick Eubanks and Kanon Broussard.

LINESCORE

Grambling 001 000 010 - 2-5-1

McNeese 021 062 30x - 14-16-2

Byron Banks, John Brown (5), Destin Hardy (6), Brian Sinnette (7), Baron Hinton (8) and Shann Maheia. Dallas Smith, Matt Click (7), Darrell Stevens (8), Josh Marceaux (9) and Tony Coniglio. W-Smith (2-1). L-Banks (0-4).

Cowboy assistant coach Jason Gonzales visits with twin daughters Roy and Dale prior to Wednesday's game.