Jim Gazzolo, Special to the American Press

For the better part of eight games the Cowboys waited.

They waited for the big hit, the one that would break open an inning, end a slump and ultimately put a stop to a skid.

Sunday Nate Collins provided that hit.

The junior designated hitter ripped a two-out, two-strike pitch into the gap in left-center in the bottom of the fifth. Collins’ shot rolled all the way to the wall, scoring three and sending him to second.

It lifted the weight off an offense that was struggling to come up with such a big hit the last two weeks. It also proved the difference in McNeese State’s 5-3 victory over Texas-Arlington at Joe Miller Ballpark.

The win salvaged the last of the three-game non-conference series and ended a seven-game Cowboy losing streak. They also improved to 19-21 before heading back into conference play next weekend at home against New Orleans.

“It feels great to get that hit,” said Collins. “We have been needing that one big hit to get us going.”

Collins’ drive sent UTA starter David Moffat to the showers. He was one strike away from earning a chance at victory but instead got the loss as his record fell to 3-3.

“That was a huge sigh of relief,” McNeese head coach Justin Hill said. “We had been getting closer and it was frustrating. That allowed you to breath.”

The big hit came after McNeese got back into the game with a pair of runs in the fourth. Down 3-0, the Cowboys scored twice on Peyton Johnson’s double.

“That was our first big hit,” said Hill. “That got us going.”

What really got the Cowboys going was starting pitcher Jonathan Ellison, who kept things close despite getting into trouble early. Ellison (3-2) went six innings and allowed three runs, two earned. However, holding the Mavericks to just two runs in that frame may have been his biggest victory.

“Jonathan Ellison gave us a great start, wiggling out of that first with only two runs and keeping us close,” Hill said. “He gave us six big innings.”

The Mavericks (19-21) got another run on a squeeze bunt by Cole Solomon in the third, but that was it. UTA left nine runners on base in the game.

Hunter Reeves followed Ellison with two solid innings, striking out three before turning it over to Cameron Foster in the ninth. Foster got a strike out and game-ending double play to put a halt to the strike.

Foster earned his second save and may have given Hill an option for the ninth moving forward.

“We might have found something there,” Hill said. “His stuff plays in the ninth.”

The Cowboys got two hits from Collins and Clayton Rasbeary, and three from Nate Fisbeck. Rasbeary and Fisbeck combine for 10 hits over the last two games of the series and were on back 13 of 18 times.

NOTE: Jake Dickerson was back at the field Sunday, hours after he was knocked unconscious in a collision with Kade Morris. Dickerson said he was feeling good considering. His status for next weekend is not clear.

McNeese State’s Reid Bourque jumps over UT-Arlington’s Boone Montgomery after turning a game-ending double play. McNeese won 5-3.

Rick Hickman / American Press