Branden Duhon didn’t start the season as the McNeese State right fielder. Nor did he start as the Cowboys’ leadoff hitter either.

However, the redshirt sophomore transfer from Louisiana Tech has made himself right at home at both.

Duhon had his third three-hit performance in the Cowboys’ last five games Thursday night at Joe Miller Ballpark. His bat helped fuel McNeese to a 9-3 victory over Incarnate Word to open a three-game Southland Conference series.

The win improved the Cowboys to 17-16 overall and 4-6 in the SLC. Incarnate Word, which swept Northwestern State last weekend, fell to 16-14, 5-5.

Duhon, who prepped at Sam Houston High in Moss Bluff, started the game with a single and had a pair of runs batted in during a three-run Cowboys fifth. He is hitting .500 (12-for-24) over the last five games with seven hits in the last two.

“We needed to jump on them right away,” Duhon said. “I just need to do my job, be a spark and the guys behind me got us going.”

Josh Leslie, Andrew Gonzales and Payton Harden each added two hits as the Cowboys finished with 12.

“We had a good start and we didn’t rest and added on to the lead,” said Cowboys head coach Justin Hill. “We kept it going.”

As for his leadoff man, Hill said he’s happy with the way Duhon has responded to increased playing time.

“You are talking about a guy who had to fight his way on the field,” Hill said. “He has made the most of his chance and he has made an impact.”

Grant Rogers (4-3) earned the victory with a solid performance. The right-hander went 62/3 innings before the Cardinals got to him with three runs in the sixth. He allowed the three runs on seven hits, striking out three and walking nobody.

Andrew Sheridan gave up two hits in 22/3 innings of relief, striking out four while Brian Shadrick worked a perfect ninth.

Lefty Carson Rollins took the loss, his first in three decisions. He allowed six runs, all earned and nine hits in 21/3 innings of work.

Kade Hunter’s two-run double to left scored Duhon and Harden for a 2-0 lead in the first. Leslie’s single moments later chased home Hunter and the Cowboys were off and running.

The Cowboys added a run in the second on Harden’s double that scored Duhon from second. Kade Morris and Gonzales drove in runs in the third as the Cowboys led 6-0 after three.

After being swept last weekend in New Orleans, Hill said he was happy to see his team come out swinging.

“The obvious this is to try and sweep but you can’t always do that,” he said. “You can’t get them all back in one night. But you can’t sweep a series if you don’t win the first game.”

NOTES: Right-hander Chance Stone (2-2, 3.86 ERA) will take the mound for McNeese in Game 2 of the series set for 6 p.m. today. The Cardinals will counter with right-hander Michael Garza (3-3, 5.17).