Errors put Cowboys in hole, UNO takes series opener

Published 11:49 am Saturday, April 9, 2022

NEW ORLEANS — The Privateers don’t need help scoring runs, but the Cowboys helped them anyway.

McNeese State committed five errors that accounted for six unearned runs and New Orleans beat the Cowboys 9-5 Friday night in the first of a three-game Southland Conference series.

The Privateers (17-10, 4-3 SLC) have won four of last five and scored 10 or more runs in five of their last five games. McNeese (16-14, 3-4) has won five of its last seven.

UNO jumped on Cowboys starter Grant Rogers (3-3) in the first inning for three runs on one hit, an RBI double by Travis Gober. The Cowboys helped the Privateers with a pair of errors.

Rogers was tagged for eight runs — three earned — in five innings before giving way to reliever Andrew Sheridan, who surrendered a run in one inning of work.

UNO scored twice in the third and once in the fifth to expand its lead to 6-0. McNeese scored three runs in the top of the sixth.

But UNO got those three runs back in the bottom half of the inning for a 9-3 lead.

McNeese trimmed the UNO lead to 9-5 with a pair of seventh-inning runs, including a solo home run by Kade Hunter, who had two of the Cowboys’ 10 hits. Josh Leslie had a pair of doubles. One of Kade Morris’ two hits was a double.

The Cowboys stranded seven runners.

No UNO player had more than one hit. Amani Larry scored three runs. Tyler LeBlanc (5-0) went seven innings, giving up five runs — four earned — on nine hits.