Box Score LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team was handed a second consecutive one-run defeat on the road at Southland Conference rival McNeese State on Sunday, 9-8 in extra innings.
The Cardinals (13-28, 5-10) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and led 6-3 after the second inning. They pounded out three doubles in the first inning and Slade Brown (Keller/Keller HS) added an RBI single. In the second inning, Brown and Jesse Hoover (Marion/Marion HS) each had run-scoring singles and Ethan McGill (Penn Valley, CA/Nevada Union HS) drove in the final run with a double.
The Cowboys (23-19, 13-8) scored three times in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a two-run homer by Chayse Marion. They retied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. They loaded the bases with no outs and followed that with a two-run double by Jackson Gooch and an RBI single by Marion.
The Cardinals reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh inning. Hoover cracked his second double of the game to put the team in the lead and then McGill followed with a single to make it 8-6.
UIW held the lead until the ninth inning. The Cowboys had two runners on base and two outs when they were able to load the bases on a fielder's choice that did not net an out. Andrew Guillotte followed with a two-run single to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
In the 10th, the Cardinals went down in order. Marion led off the bottom half of the inning with a triple and then UIW intentionally walked the next two batters. James Cantu ended the game with a single to bring in the game-winning run.
The Cardinals pounded out 13 hits in the contest and had five players with multiple hits. Brown went 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBI's and Hoover was 3-for-5 with two runs, two RBI's and two doubles. McGill finished the game with two hits and drove in three. UIW had to use five pitchers in the game and it was Alex Shaffer (Seattle/Nathan Hale HS) who was tagged with the loss.
Neither team's starting pitcher lasted longer than 1.1 innings in the game. Cory LaPeze pitched well for the Cowboys in relief tallying 3.0 innings while allowing two hits and no runs while striking out two. Cole Prejean earned the win with a perfect inning of relief.
The Cowboys offense had 17 hits in the game and the top three hitters in the lineup combined for nine hits. Guillotte was 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI's and Gooch went 3-for-5 with three RBI's, two doubles and a run scored. Marion had the best game for the home team going 3-for-4 with two runs, three RBI's, two walks, a triple and a home run.
The Cardinals are back in action on Tuesday night at home against UT-Pan American at 6 p.m.
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