LAKE CHARLES - The McNeese Cowboys (3-2) used a nine-run first inning that featured a double and bases-clearing triple by Julian Gonzales to take down the Alcorn Braves (0-1) 13-0 Friday night in seven innings. The Pokes scored all 9 first-inning runs with two outs. Chance Stone made his first career start for McNeese and recorded the win going 4.0 scoreless innings and striking out four. He threw just 47 pitches. Sean-Michael Brady made his first appearance of the season and pitched 3.0 perfect frames with 6 strikeouts to earn the save. The offense erupted for a season-high 13 runs through the first three innings on seven hits while holding Alcorn to just two hits on the night. 

Key Moments:

• Tre' Obregon III singled home Julian Gonzales to open the scoring in the first. Gonzales had a double for the Pokes first hit of the night. 
• Schuyler Thibodaux & Reid Bourque drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks to increase the lead to three.
• Conner Westenburg was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in his first career at-bat scoring Peyton Johnson. 
• Payton Harden hit an RBI single in the first to score Thibodaux to give McNeese a 5-0 lead.
• Bourque scored the Cowboy's sixth run on a wild pitch. 
• After a Brad Burckel walk, J. Gonzales hit a bases-clearing triple to cap off the nine-run inning. 
• Kade Morris led off the second inning with a triple and immediately scored on Johnson's RBI ground-out. 
• The Pokes would score two more in the second thanks to a wild-pitch scoring Thibodaux and a Westenburg RBI ground-out.
• Peyton Johnson singled up the middle to plate Julian Gonzales in the third for the Pokes 13th run of the ball game. 
• Sean-Michael Brady entered the game in the top of the fifth and struck out the first six batters he faced. 

Notes:

• Freshman OF Conner Westenburg made his first career start in RF. He had two ribbies to go along with a run scored.
• Brady recorded his second career save.
• Julian Gonzales went 2-2 with 3 ribbies and reached base four times. 
• Gonzales, Schuyler Thibodaux, Kade Morris, and Reid Bourque each scored twice. 
• Peyton Johnson went 1-2 with two RBIs. 
• Cowboys walked eight times.
• Morris' triple was the first of his career.

Head Coach Justin Hill Postgame Quote:
"Julian (Gonzales) got us going with two outs in the first but I thought the at-bat that changed everything and prevented the game from possibly going in another direction was Schuyler Thibodaux's. He was down 0-2 and worked back to draw a bases-loaded walk, if he strikes out the score is just 1-0 and it could be completely different. So, I thought that was the at-bat that kinda changed everything, of course, we'd go on to score again in the following innings but we'll take it no matter how they come."

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Next Game:
(2/25) Doubleheader vs. Alcorn. Game One at 2:00 PM, Game Two 45 Minutes After Conclusion of Game One.