Cougars are doubled up by Cowboys 14-7

by Andrew J. Ferraro

After sweeping the Michigan Wolverines in four straight games, the Houston Cougars baseball team fell to a McNeese State team that came into Cougar Field and lit up the night with its bats, winning the game 14-7.

On a day in which the temperature dropped 30 degrees from the start of the game, it seemed as if the Cougars just couldn't get their bats going at the right time.

No runs were scored until the Cowboys got two runs in the top of the third inning off of Cougars starter Tommy Marik.

After a leadoff single by McNeese center fielder Jeremy Duvall, third baseman Todd Stanley drove him in on a fielder's choice.

After reaching on an error, left fielder Shane Faucheaux scored on a double by first baseman Brig Taylor. After two and a half innings of play, the Cowboys led 2-0.

The Cougars got one run back in their bottom half of the inning when Dominic Hernandez tripled and later scored on an infield single by Karl Ryden.

The Cougars tied the game at two apiece in the bottom of the fourth inning when center fielder Dustin Carr scored on an error by McNeese second baseman Mike Trahan.

Mark Manbeck relieved starter Tommy Marik in the top of the fourth with two outs and struck out Stanley to end the inning.

After that, the Cowboys exploded off Manbeck, scoring six runs on six hits, highlighted by a grand slam by Trahan.

After the grand slam, the Cowboys went on to score six runs off Jason Schreiber, who relieved Art Dillahay, and pitched the final two innings of the ball game.

The Cougars had a long shot to win the game in the bottom of the ninth, but fell short as Mike Medrano struck out to end the game.

Despite five late runs capped by Jason Schreiber's third home run of the season, the Cougars could not overcome the 14-2 lead the Cowboys had going into the final two innings.

"We swung the bats well tonight," McNeese head coach Jim Ricklefsen said. "Our pitching has been inconsistent lately, and today we wanted to work a lot of our guys. (McNeese used six pitchers in the game.)

"We just outscored Houston tonight, and that's what we need going into conference play. It's the most important thing."