Even with a depleted number of players available, the Cowboys had enough arms to keep their fast start rolling.

McNeese State used eight pitchers to strike out 16 Louisiana-Lafayette hitters and claim a 3-0 victory over their I-10 rival Tuesday night at Joe Miller Ballpark.

The Cowboys won despite losing 10 players to illness. It was their fourth straight victory, and they improved to 6-1. 

McNeese is off to its best start in head coach Justin Hill’s 12 years at the helm. 

The Cajuns fell to 4-4 after knocking off No. 23 Nebraska twice in three games over the weekend. 

“As a staff it was big for us,” said right-hander Marcus Mott. “We have a deep staff with some experienced guys who help each other out.”

Freshman Diego Corrales, a Barbe High product, made his college debut, filling in for a sick Cooper Golden. Corrales struck out three in two innings before turning things over to the bullpen.

“That’s a really good ballclub over there,” McNeese catcher Grant Mangrum said. “To see every guy come out of the bullpen like that firing was awesome.

“This staff is hard to hit.”

All eight of the McNeese hurlers struck out at least one. It has been that way in the early going this season. 

Over the first seven games, the Cowboys have fanned 79, an average of 11.3 per outing. They have whiffed 55 for an average of 13.8 per game over the last four.

“Our pitching staff was amazing,” said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. “They came out of the pen, each throwing strikes.

“I’m proud of these guys. We were not sure who we would have tonight. It took the whole team for this one.”

Mott earned the win, his first of the season. JR Tollett (1-1) took the loss for ULL. Sergio Lopez worked the ninth to earn his second save.

McNeese scored the only run it would need in the third on Matt Stancliff’s RBI double off the glove of a diving Conor Higgs down the left-field line. The hit scored Bryce Fontenot from first.

Marcus Heusohn drove in a pair of runs in the fifth to end the scoring. Heusohn stroked a bases-loaded single to center with one out, chasing home Fontenot and Stancliff.

The rest was left to the Cowboy pitchers, who allowed just four hits and let only one Cajun runner advance past second base. 

Cajuns’ head coach Matt Deggs started five players from the Lake Charles area, three of them freshmen. McNeese countered with four starters with local ties, giving the game a feel of Homecoming.

The shutout was the second in four games for McNeese, which will turn its attention to Friday’s Southland Conference opener against Nicholls.