LAKE CHARLES- The McNeese Cowboys (10-8) and the Ragin' Cajuns traded runs all evening but it would be ULL (9-7) escaping Lake Charles with a 10-8 victory Wednesday night. The two teams combined for 28 hits and 18 runs in the 176th meeting between the in-state foes. 

The Cajuns jumped out to a 4-0 lead in a top of the first inning that featured an inside-the-park home run by DH Connor Kimple. 

Kade Morris singled up the middle to score Braden Duhon in the third inning for the Pokes first run of the game.

The Cowboys would score four unanswered to tie the game in the fifth as Brad Burckel scored on a wild pitch and Schuyler Thibodaux drove in two with a single to right. 

McNeese would retake the lead in the sixth inning, 7-5. Julian Gonzales singled home Reid Bourque to tie the game at five. Brad Burckel followed Gonzales with a single down the right-field line, they'd both be driven home by Payton Harden's RBI single. 

ULL would tie the ballgame at seven with RBI singles by Julian Brock and Warnner Rincones. They would retake the lead for good with a 2 RBI triple that caromed off pitcher Cameron Foster into foul territory. 

Trailing 10-7 in the ninth, Peyton Johnson hit a towering blast over the right-field fence, the Cowboy's final hit of the night. 

Seven of the Cowboys' nine hitters in the starting lineup picked up a hit in the game.

Louisiana-Lafayette relief pitcher Chip Menard (1-0) earned the win pitching 1.2 innings allowing no hits and striking out four. 

"The middle part of the game was pretty good for us, but we had a bad start and a bad finish. We had some good moments from some of our pitchers… I thought they (ULL) had a great approach and plan. We didn't walk anybody but kind of left some pitches out and over the plate. Once they slammed the door we couldn't get anything going. I thought early we put some good at-bats together and did a good job battling back from being down 4-0" said Head Coach Justin Hill. 

Notes:

• Fifth straight game with double-digit hits for McNeese. 
• Brad Burckel (2), Payton Harden (2), and Schuyler Thibodaux (1) each stole bases and had multiple hits. 
• Burckel, Harden, and Julian Gonzales have hit safely in seven straight games. Burckel has eight hits in his last two contests.
• Peyton Johnson's 9th inning homer was his third of the year. 
• Burrell Jones pitched 3.0 scoreless innings as eight Cowboys touched the mound. 

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Next Game:
The Cowboys host Eastern Illinois for a weekend series starting Friday night at 6 PM.