LAKE CHARLES, La. (Interstat) — Easton Dowell’s walk-off double in the bottom of the 11th inning gave McNeese State a 1-0 victory over Northwestern State on Thursday night at Sudduth Coliseum, completing a pitcher’s duel that saw both teams combine for only 10 hits over 11 scoreless frames before the Cowboys finally broke through.

The Southland Conference game, which lasted 11 innings, featured dominant pitching performances on both sides. Northwestern State starter Dylan Marionneaux threw nine innings of no-hit baseball, striking out six while walking none and allowing no earned runs. He was matched nearly pitch for pitch by McNeese State’s Cooper Golden, who tossed 7 2/3 innings, scattering five hits with four strikeouts and no earned runs. Golden, who had struggled in his previous two outings – allowing five earned runs in 2 2/3 innings against Stephen F. Austin on May 2 and five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings against Texas-Rio Grande Valley on April 24 – bounced back sharply to keep the Demons off the board.

Northwestern State had its best scoring chances in the middle and late innings. In the sixth, the Demons put two runners on base via walks to Connor Marsala and Ethan Menard, but Joe Siervo flied out to center field to end the threat. In the eighth, Leonard and Marsala strung together back-to-back singles, and a passed ball moved both runners into scoring position with one out. McNeese State then turned to reliever Jaden Bahl, who induced a pop-up from Menard to end the inning. Bahl went on to pitch 3 1/3 innings of two-hit, shutout relief, striking out two.

Northwestern State threatened again in the ninth. Siervo singled to left field and Tyler McAloose was hit by a pitch, putting two runners on with nobody out. But Bahl and the Cowboys defense held. Taylor Simonelli struck out swinging, and pinch hitter Johnson flied out to right field, advancing Siervo to third. McAloose moved to second on defensive indifference, but Cole White popped up to second base to end the inning.

Marionneaux’s no-hit bid ended when he was lifted after nine innings, having thrown 0 hits but 0 earned runs. Caden Fiveash came on in the 10th and struck out the side, allowing no hits and one earned run over 1 2/3 innings, but the Demons’ offense could not capitalize. In the top of the 11th, Menard doubled to right-center and was replaced by pinch runner Lusk. Siervo sacrificed Lusk to third, but McAloose lined into a double play to third base, with Lusk caught off third and retired on an unassisted putout.

The bottom of the 11th began with Marcus Heusohn drawing a walk off Fiveash. After Walker struck out bunting and Cooper struck out swinging, Dowell stepped to the plate with two outs. He delivered a double to left-center field, scoring Heusohn from first base for the walk-off win.

McNeese State managed only three hits in the game – a first-inning single by Dowell, a third-inning double by Korey Cooper, and the game-winning double. Northwestern State collected seven hits, with Sebastian Huerta going 2 for 3 and Siervo 2 for 4. Menard was 1 for 4 with a double. Dowell finished 2 for 5 with the lone RBI.

The win lifted McNeese State to 24-23 overall, while Northwestern State dropped to 25-22. The two teams are scheduled to meet again Friday and Saturday in the same venue.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of McNeese State 4, Northwestern State 2. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Cowboys a 56.90 percent probability of winning the game.