LAKE CHARLES, La. – McNeese first baseman Mitchell Rogers went 2-for-3 and cracked the game-winning home run in the Cowboys' 3-2 win over Abilene Christian Friday afternoon at Joe Miller Ballpark to kick off a three-game Southland Conference series.
McNeese improved to 12-18 and 5-5 with the victory while the Wildcats dropped to .500 at 14-14 and 2-11.
Rogers' home run was his third of the season and spoiled an otherwise solid start by
Brock Barger (2-3) who came into the seventh inning with four strikeouts and one unearned allowed on five hits. Barger pitched his way out of trouble several times earlier in the game, but designated hitter Andre Bryan started the rally with a double to the left-center gap, and after right fielder Jake Cochran bunted him over to third base, Rogers' cracked a shot over the wall in left field for the Cowboys' seventh and final hit of the game.
Reliever
Brennan Lewis came into the game afterward and retired five of the six batters he faced with one reaching on an error.
The Wildcats had their chances to retake the lead in both the eighth and ninth but instead left four runners stranded on base. McNeese closer Aidan Anderson allowed a two-out double to
Robert Salazar and walked
Seth Watts before striking out pinch hitter
Riley Donahue, and in the ninth, he left runners at first and second by getting
Colton Eager on a deflected ground ball to second base.
ACU left seven runners on base overall, including three at third base to cancel threats in the first, second and seventh innings. The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the first on first baseman
Koby Claborn's left-field RBI single but two were left in scoring position as starter Grant Anderson (3-3) whiffed Salazar. Anderson again put a runner on third base in the second inning only to bounce back with consecutive punchouts of
Zack Mausser and Matt Muñoz.
The Wildcats also ran into a couple outs along the basepaths with
Caleb Kyle doubled off second base following a center field catch by Jacob Stracner, and Claborn was tagged by shortstop Reid Bourque trying to get to third base. But despite these missed chances, the Wildcats broke the 1-1 tie in the seventh on an Anderson wild pitch.
Smith drew a leadoff walk, went to second on a bunt by Mausser and to third on the sacrifice by Muñoz. Mausser, who reached base via error, went to third on the wild pitch with one out but got no closer to the plate as Kyle popped up to third and
Dalon Farkas grounded out.
Anderson finished his 7.0-inning start with six strikeouts, and two runs allowed (one earned) on four hits and four walks.
Barger tossed 91 pitches and surrendered an unearned run in the second with Stracner scoring on a wild pitch. The Wildcats, however, got out of that inning with a 5-2 putout at home plate followed by a 9-3 double play in which Farkas threw out Bryan at first base.
ACU and McNeese are slated to resume their series Saturday at 3 p.m.
