It took a little extra work, but for the Cowboys, it was worth it.

Easton Dowell’s bouncing single to left scored Bryce Fontenot from second with the winning run in the top of the 10th inning Friday night in Edinburg, Texas.

The chopper off the bat of the Southland Conference’s leading hitter proved to be the winning run in McNeese’s critical 9-6 victory over Texas-Rio Grande Valley to open a three-game series.

The Cowboys (30-8, 17-5) scored two more runs on Cole Plowman’s grounder to second base that UTRGV’s Thomas Williams threw wildly toward home. Williams had made a diving stop on the ball, but his throw home to get Larry Edwards skipped to the backstop. 

Dowell raced home with the Cowboys’ extra insurance run. 

With the win, McNeese stays tied with Southeastern for first place in the conference. 

The Lions won the opener of their series at Houston Christian 1-0. 

UTRGV (24-15,17-8) fell 1½ games back in third place while HCU is three back in fourth.

Sergio Lopez (6-1) picked up the victory in relief by working a harmless bottom of the 10th after he had given up the lead in the ninth. Jacob Sanchez had tied the game 6-6 with a two-out bloop single to right after the Cowboys were one pitch away from the victory.

Conner Westernburg had a big night for McNeese, blasting two home runs, including a shot to lead off the game. His two-run homer in the fifth was his seventh of the season. 

Westenburg, the nation’s leader in triples at nine, finished the night 3-for-6, driving in three runs and scoring two. 

“Really excited to come in here and play,” said Westenburg. “This is a great environment, and their fans were talking trash. It was fun.”

A total of 4,025 fans were on hand for the game. 

Dowell finished with two hits in five at-bats, coming up with the big one in the 10th, but also a double in the sixth that set the stage for two more Cowboy runs. Grant Mangrum delivered with a single that gave McNeese a 5-1 lead.  

Home runs by Sanchez, Williams, and Steven Lancia homered for UTRGV to help even the score and send it to extra innings.

Alexis Gravel (2-2, 3.98) will go for the Cowboys in Game 2 Saturday night against Wyatt Wiatrek (6-0, 3.69). Neither team has announced a starter for Sunday’s series finale.