The Louisiana Christian University baseball team entertained an NCAA Division I visitor for the first time since 2008 on Wednesday night when McNeese’s Cowboys came to Billy Allgood Field.
They almost regretted the trip. Division III LCU extended McNeese to extra frames and was edged 6-5 in 10 innings.
The Wildcats overcame a 5-1 deficit going to the bottom of the fifth inning. In that at-bat, LCU scored twice, on RBI singles by Adrian Aguilar and Caleb Duhon.
In the sixth, the Wildcats tied the game. Braden Trull blasted a home run to center field, then Hunter Gotreaux delivered a bunt single that scored the tying run for a 5-all score.
That’s how it stood until the Cowboys (8-5) regained the lead in the top of the 10th on an RBI single by Grant Mangrum with two outs. LCU went down in order in its last at-bat.
The Wildcats (14-4 overall, 5-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference) have played their first 19 games at home. They hit the road this weekend to play at Jarvis Christian on Saturday.
McNeese will return to Division I competition with a huge challenge, visiting No. 2-ranked Arkansas this weekend.