Needing a lift, the Cowboys got big one from Brock Barthelemy.

The senior right-hander came in throwing strikes and walked out of Joe Miller Ballpark helping end a six-game losing streak Tuesday night for McNeese State.

Barthelemy allowed one hit and no runs over the final 3⅔ innings as McNeese knocked off Sam Houston State 5-4 in a midweek game.

Barthelemy entered the game with one out in the sixth and the tying run, Caleb Cotton, in scoring position for the Bearkats. He was able to work out of that jam and ended the game retiring 11 of the 12 batters he faced to earn his second save of the season.

“This one means a lot,” said Barthelemy. “Hopefully it gets us started and we can take off.”

McNeese improved to 17-18 while the Bearkats fell to 21-16.

“Brock had a great night for us,” said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. “When you are swooning a bit, you just want to go out and play. We did that.”

Barthelemy struck out five and walked nobody in his best outing of the season. 

“We limited the walks,” said Barthelemy. “We decided we could not control the wind so we just went after them.”

It wasn’t all easy though. The final out came when Walker Janek’s long drive to right was caught up against the wall by a leaping Braden Duhon to secure the victory. 

McNeese took a 3-1 lead in the third on Conner Westenburg’s two-run triple. Westenburg scored when the relay throw got away. 

Sam Houston had taken the lead on Malachi Lott’s long solo home run in the second. His 422-foot blast to right was his eighth of the year.

The Cowboys took the lead back with a pair of runs in the fifth with some help from the Bearkats. Cooper Hext doubled and scored on a Westenburg single that was accompanied by a two-base error. Westenburg scored the Cowboys’ final run on Parker Stroh’s grounder to short.

“We played good baseball and took advantage of their mistakes,” said Hill.

Brian Shadrick, the third of five McNeese pitchers, was credited with the win while earning his first decision of the season. Gavi Coldiron (3-3) took the loss for Sam Houston

McNeese will head to New Orleans for three games this week as they return to Southland Conference play starting Friday night at 6 p.m.