Easton Dowell’s double into the gap in right-center field was a perfect ending to a weekend sweep for the Cowboys.

Dowell’s shot scored Larry Edwards from first with one out in the bottom of the ninth Sunday at Joe Miller Ballpark, giving McNeese a 3-2 victory over New Orleans.

The Cowboys’ victory was their eighth straight and 11th in their last 12 games. McNeese improved to 23-5, 11-5 in the Southland Conference, and 19-2 at home, including winning 11 straight.

UNO fell to 15-15, 7-11. 

“It was a big win, a big weekend,” said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. “We have done it in a lot of different ways this year.”

Sunday’s win was Dowell’s second walk-off hit of the season. His hit came off UNO closer Bryce Calloway (0-1), who entered the game at the top of the ninth with a score tied 2-2.

Edwards led things off for the Cowboys with a sharp single up the middle. An out later, Dowell laced the winner between two outfielders, and it rolled to the wall as Edwards raced around the bases.

“I just tried to put a good swing on the ball,” said Dowell. “The big hit was Larry’s leadoff single. That should not be forgotten.”

Dowell finished the weekend 6-for-12, raising his batting average to .424, which is tied for the league lead. He has an 8-game hitting streak and is 16-for-32 (.500) in that stretch.

“It’s a good selfishness,” said Dowell. “I want to be in that moment. Nothing changes for me.”

The Cowboys got a solid start from Parker Morgan, a junior left-hander from St. Louis Catholic. Morgan allowed just one run over three innings, and Paul Coppinger followed with 4⅔ innings, also allowing just a run.

Parker Primeaux ended the eighth, and Jake Blackwell worked the ninth. Blackwell allowed a hit but also picked up a win, his second in three nights, to improve to 2-1.

For good measure, Blackwell had a save in the victory Saturday. In three innings, he allowed one hit and struck out six. 

“That’s low percentage stuff,” Hill said of Blackwell and Primeaux throwing three straight games. “Nobody went for multiple innings, so it worked out.”

UNO took the lead in the first on Callaway’s single to right, which scored Collin Loupe from third. The Cowboys tied it in the fifth when Dowell tripled and scored on a wild pitch. 

McNeese took the lead the following inning when Bryce Fontenot’s pinch-hit single to right scored Marcus Heusohn from second. UNO tied things at 2-2 on a Loupe RBI single in the seventh.

The Privateers had a chance to take the lead in the eighth on Collin Husser’s double to the wall in left-center. However, a perfect relay throw from center fielder Conner Westenburg to Dowell and then catcher Grant Mangrum got Tristan Moore at the plate.

“That was a perfect relay play,” said Hill. “We made some big plays today.”

McNeese won the game despite being outhit 11-6. 

The Cowboys will hit the road for a game at Houston Wednesday night before playing at Incarnate Word over the weekend.

They will enter next weekend’s play tied for third but just one game behind league-leading Houston Christian.