STERLINGTON, La. – Louisiana Christian University's baseball team concluded play Sunday at the Cajun Collision with a split of their final two games of the event.
 
The 'Cats dropped a hard-fought 4-1 decision to Texas Wesleyan before pummeling McPherson College (Kan.) 13-2.
 
The win over McPherson snapped a three-game losing streak as the Wildcats opened with a 7-5 setback to Mid-America Christian (Okla.) on Friday, and then fell 12-4 to Southeastern (Fla.) – the defending NAIA national champion and current No. 1-ranked team – on Saturday.
 
LCU (6-3) returns to action Friday when they head to New Orleans to open Red River Athletic Conference play with a three-game series at Xavier. Friday's game is scheduled for 5 p.m., with Saturday's doubleheader set to begin at noon.
 
Texas Wesleyan 4, 'Cats 1
Peyton Lamartiniere's first-inning triple gave the Wildcats an early lead before Texas Wesleyan scored four unanswered runs to claim victory in Sunday's opener.
 
Cy Fontenot pitched all seven innings and struck out six Texas Wesleyan batters but was outdueled by five strong innings from the Rams' Morgam McCloud.
 
Ju'Juan Franklin and Noah Gaspard hit safely for the Wildcats in the game. Nicholas Brunet scored LCU's only run on Lamartiniere's RBI.
 
'Cats 13, McPherson (Kan.) 2
Lamartiniere hit his team-leading third home run of the season to open the scoring as the 'Cats scored eight unanswered runs in the second and third innings before cruising to the win.
 
A senior from St. Francisville, La., Lamartiniere went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, and two RBIs.
 
Franklin, Nick Lorio, and Drake Angeron each collected two RBIs for the Wildcats. Brunet, Franklin, and Gaspard all had two hits apiece. Dylan Beier earned the win in relief for his second victory of the season.
 
McPherson had ended the 2022 season ranked in the NAIA's Top 25. The Bulldogs had received votes in the first poll of 2023 and were just short of the Top 25.

– LCU –