LAKE CHARLES - The McNeese Cowboys (31-21) advanced to the winner's bracket of the Southland Conference Tournament Thursday night after defeating Incarnate Word (19-30) 12-6 at Joe Miller Ballpark. The victory was the 263rd career win for head coach Justin Hill which ties the late Tony Robichaux for the most wins in program history.

"It hasn't set in yet. I knew it was attainable but what a man to be associated with. I'm very grateful to him (Robichaux) and his family for the sacrifices they've made to give me a chance to be the baseball coach and it's a great honor to be mentioned beside him," said head coach Justin Hill.

The Cowboys scored 12 runs on 13 hits to win its ninth-straight SLC tourney game dating back to 2019. Southland Conference Player of the Year Payton Harden led the way going 4-5 with four runs scored and a trio of stolen bases. Kade Hunter and Kade Morris each homered and drove in a pair. The Cowboys have scored double-digit runs in seven of their last eight games. 

"It was huge to get the first one, we knew we had our guy Grant Rogers coming out and behind him we just have his back and that's what we did today. We just kept going and pilling on and we did what we needed to do," said Payton Harden.

Grant Rogers (7-4) picked up his league-high seventh win of the season after hammering the strike zone all evening (67% strike percentage). Rogers went six strong innings allowing only two earned runs while retiring three via the strikeout. Andrew Sheridan, Daniel Hecker, Tyler Stone, and Brian Shadrick pieced together the final nine outs of the ballgame. Shadrick pitched the ninth and ended the game with a backwards K. 

Payton Harden was a one-man show getting McNeese off to a quick 1-0 lead after the first. Harden singled to shortstop, stole second, advanced to third on a dropped third strike, and scored on a wild pitch. 

A two-run blast by Kade Hunter in the third inning put the Pokes up 3-2 after UIW plated two on a single and an error in the away half of the inning. 

Josh Leslie led off the fourth with an opposite-field single to right and came around to score on Andruw Gonzales' groundout to shortstop. 

Braden Duhon double started a three-run fifth inning for McNeese. Duhon stole third and scored on a wild pitch. Brad Burckel tripled down the right-field line to score Harden (single), and Josh Leslie's sac-fly pushed the lead to 7-2. 

Kade Morris belted his team-leading ninth homer of the season, a two-run shot, putting McNeese up 9-2 after six. 

The Cardinals rallied late scoring three runs between the seventh and eighth inning. Jimmy De Leon's two-out two-run double brought UIW with four. 

An RBI groundout by Braden Duhon that scored Bourque (single) and Payton Harden's fourth hit of the ballgame to score Morris (HBP) provided late insurance runs for the Pokes. Harden came around to score on a wild pitch for run no. 12 on the day. 

Grant Smith homered in the top of the ninth inning cutting the McNeese lead to 12-6. 

Postgame Video: Payton Harden 

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Next Game:
The no. 1 seeded Cowboys will face no. 4 Nicholls tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Joe Miller Ballpark. RHP Chance Stone will get the nod for McNeese against LHP Tyler Theriot.