McNeese State rapped out 21 hits including three home runs as the Cowboys beat Houston Baptist 15-2 for their second straight baseball victory here Saturday.

    In a game that featured a one hour and 15 minute rain delay, the Cowboys scored five runs in each of the first two innings to take control.

    Righthander Tommy Luce, making his debut for the Cowboys, hurled six innings of four hit, two run ball and struckout eight batters while picking up the win.

    Steven Irvine, Shon Landry and Lee Orr belted home runs for the Cowboys, Orr collecting his second in two days.

    “We came out and hit the ball like I know we can,” McNeese coach Terry Burrows said.  “I was glad to see that.  Tommy Luce had a great start for us.  He gave us the chance to get our offense going.

    “I was also pleased that we were able to get a lot of freshmen into the ball game and they did a good job.”

    The two teams will be back in action Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Cowboy Diamond for the third game of their series.

    After Luce had shutdown the Huskies in  order in the first inning (the last two batters struckout), the McNeese offense cranked up with Sam Merrill leading off with a double and Irvine following with a home run.

    The Cowboys would bat around that inning and then again in the second when Landry smacked a three run homer and Orr hit a two run shot.

    Luce faced four Huskies in the second inning, getting all three outs via the strikeout route.  Houston Baptist got their first hit off his pitching in the third inning, a double by Nick  Homan.

    McNeese would add another run in the third with Taylor Freeman doubling in Irvine who had also doubled.  The Cowboys scored two more runs in the fourth, Nick Eubanks driven in on a double by Ryan Brauninger and Matt Fontenot scoring on a double play.

    The Cowboys capped their scoring with two runs in the seventh, Freeman tripling in Landry and then scoring on a sacrifice fly by Josh Lebert.

    Luce came out of the game after six innings and was followed by Scott Holstein, Trey Brown and Jaden Dillon, all hurling one inning each.  Holstein was the only one of the three to give up a hit and he struckout two batters as did Brown.

    Tristan Gaines, the first of four Houston Baptist pitchers, absorbed the loss, being credited with only one inning and giving up six hits and seven runs.

    Freeman led the Cowboys at the plate, going five for five and driving in a pair of runs.  Merrill and Irvine both had four hits while Brauninger and Fontenot had two hits each.

    Landry drove in three runs and Irvine, Freeman, Orr and Andy Riche’ plated two each.