LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Louisiana Christian University baseball program has now come up just shy of three program-defining victories over NCAA Division I competition in 2024, holding a lead or being tied in the seventh or later in each contest, the latest being 4-2 edge at stretch time, before running out of gas in the end during a 6-4, hard-fought battle.
 
The results from Wednesday evening's ballgame do not count towards Louisiana Christian's win-loss record or its statistics as the game was classified as an exhibition for the Wildcats and a countable contest for McNeese.
 
The Basics:
 

• Theme
  • Exhibition

 

• Score
  • McNeese – 6
  • Louisiana Christian – 4

 

• Records
  • Louisiana Christian (26-16, 16-11 Red River)
  • McNeese (19-20, 3-9 Southland)

 

• Location
  • Lake Charles, Louisiana – Joe Miller Ballpark

 

• Series History (Since 1953)
  • McNeese Leads 29-9 (23.7%)

 

• Winning Streak (Since 1953)
  • McNeese (W6) | Louisiana Christian's Last Win: March 24, 1998 (4-2)

 
Wildcats Top Performers:
 

• Nick Lorio was the lone LCU student-athlete with a multi-hit outing, going 2-for-3 (.667) with a pair of singles including one with the bases loaded that drove home the two go-ahead runs heading into the seventh inning stretch.

 

• Braxton Cooksey showed his skills as a three-tool player, blasting a solo home run off the scoreboard and drawing a walk, scoring two runs on the basepaths, and pitching a frame without giving up an earned run, striking out two Cowboys without a walk.

 

• Nicholas Brunet got the party started with a frozen rope round-tripper that exited Joe Miller Ballpark in a hurry to straightaway left, giving the Orange and Blue the edge.

 

• Gabe Spedale walked not once, but twice, Harrison Waxley singled, Braden Trull coaxed a free pass before scoring, and Tyler McKenna drew a base on balls to wrap up the offensive statistics.

 

• On the pitching side of things, Coach Byrnes deployed nine pitchers for no more than an inning apiece as Andrew Yuratich (starter), Trip Flotte, Kade Linn, and  Jacob Bareswill all came away unscathed in the run column.

 
Next:
  

• A twin-bill on Friday kicks off the final Red River Athletic Conference series when the Wildcats take on the Eagles at 1 and 4 p.m. in Texarkana, Texas.

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