LAKE CHARLES, La. -The University of New Orleans baseball team made it interesting late, but McNeese State held off the visiting Privateers to take a 12-11 win on Wednesday night.
UNO (3-6) trailed 12-7 entering the ninth inning but opened the frame with four runs - keyed by a three-run blast from senior Jerad Comarda. But MSU reliever Jaden Dillon got the next three UNO batters to help the Cowboys (6-5) improve to 4-0 at home this year.
Jace Peterson and Steven Irvine each hit a home run and combined for six hits and six RBIs to lead MSU.
Alan Harris also hit a three-run home run for the Privateers, who had a three-game win streak snapped. Nick Schwaner went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored, and Kevin Berry had two hits and scored three runs. Jay Morris added two RBIs.
The Privateers, who had 11 hits overall, have combined to score 27 runs in their last two games.
The Cowboys took advantage of some wildness from UNO starter Justin Cromartie (0-1) to grab a 5-0 lead in the first. MSU added another run in the second to make it 6-0 before the Privateers cut the lead in half with three runs in the third.
After the Cowboys scored two more in the fourth to make it 8-3, UNO scored on a sacrifice fly in the fifth before Alan Harris hit a three-run home run to cut the deficit to 8-7.
MSU, though, answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame to make it 12-7.
The score remained the same until the ninth, when Ryan Eden, Berry and Schwaner each singled before Comarda launched his first home run of the year.
UNO will open up Sun Belt Conference play this weekend, hosting Western Kentucky in a three-game series at Maestri Field. The series begins at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
