Conner Westenburg’s race around the bases is the latest way the Cowboys found victory Wednesday night.

Westenburg walked with one out in the top of the 10th, took two bases on the first wild pitch, and then scored on the next to lift McNeese to a key 4-3 extra-innings victory at Houston.

The win was the ninth straight for the Cowboys, the longest in head coach Justin Hill’s tenure. The Cowboys continue to find interesting ways to win games. At 24-5, McNeese has tied the best start in program history, which was accomplished first in 1991.

Some consider McNeese a bubble team for an NCAA Tournament bid if they don’t win the Southland, but they picked up what could be a significant victory against the 19-14 Cougars from the Big 12.

The Cowboys will move on to San Antonio, where they will try to get back to SLC play with a three-game weekend series against Incarnate Word. The opener is Friday at 2:05  p.m.

McNeese used 10 pitchers in the win, each going one inning. The Cowboys ended a three-game losing streak to the Cougars in the process.

Despite giving up a run to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, left-hander Jake Blackwell picked up the victory to improve to 3-1. Blackwell has thrown an inning in the Cowboys’ last five games, picking up three wins and one save over the last four.

Eric Nachtsheim worked the 10th to earn his first save. In Nachtsheim’s last 10 appearances, the right-hander has allowed just one run. 

Larry Edwards made the play of the night to start at the bottom of the 10th when he caught a fly ball off Tre Broussard’s bat while crashing into the wall right on the line in fair territory. 

Edwards also came up with the game’s biggest hit, a 3-run double in the top of sixth with the Cowboys trailing 1-0. The hit gives Edwards 29 runs batted in on the season, tops on McNeese.

The Cowboys now shift their attention back into league play, where they continue their five-game road trip against the struggling Cardinals. UIW is in last place in the league at 2-16, 15-21 overall.

With No. 3 LSU on the schedule for next Tuesday, the Cowboys can’t be caught looking ahead or behind.

“Our guys have remained focused every day throughout the season,” said Hill. “They continue to show up every day. They have answered the bell each time.

“They expect to win and know what they must do to be at their best. (Overlooking UIW) is not a concern.”

McNeese is tied for second in the conference with Southeastern, one game behind Houston Christian. However, they have not been scoreboard-watching just yet.

“We just want to do our thing and let everything take care of itself,” said Hill.