No. 7 McNeese Run-Rules No. 3 Southeastern La., Advances to Championship
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HAMMOND, La. – No. 7 McNeese put on an offensive showcase in an 18-2 win over No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana on Friday night to advance to the championship game of the 2021 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament, presented by GeoSurfaces. The Cowboys’ 18 runs and 21 hits are both program bests at the conference tournament.
The middle of the McNeese lineup combined to hit 10-for-14 (.714) with 10 RBI and 10 runs scored, including nearly matching stat lines for Jake Dickerson and Brett Whelton, who both went 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs.
The Cowboys struck first in the opening inning, starting with Nate Fisbeck picking up his 61
st RBI on the year with a ball that hit off the glove of Christian Garcia as Payton Harden scored from third. After advancing to third on the play, Fisbeck scored on the next at-bat, and Brett Whelton and Reid Bourque rounded out the scoring with an RBI base-hit each.
McNeese matched its output in the second inning on back-to-back run-scoring singles from Dickerson and Whelton, and Bourque picked up a second RBI when he smashed a double into the gap in right-center.
All four Cowboy scores in the third inning came with two outs after three-straight singles and a Julian Gonzales triple pushed the lead to 12.
After the Pokes were finally held to a goose egg in the fourth, they added to their tally on a two-run double down the right-field line from Dickerson, who came around to score on the ensuing at-bat on a Brett Whelton single. McNeese wound up tacking on six in the inning to make it an 18-1 game.
Pokes’ starter Ty Abraham (4-3) picked up the win with four innings of one-run work, while Daniel Dugas (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up five runs on four hits in the opening frame.
The Cowboys will face the winner of No. 1 Abilene Christian and No. 5 Sam Houston in the championship game at 6 p.m. CT Saturday.