LAKE CHARLES, La. (Interstat) — The McNeese State Cowboys battered Southeastern Louisiana pitching for 15 hits and scored in five different innings Friday night, defeating the Lions 15-9 in a Southland Conference game at Joe Miller Ballpark.

McNeese State improved to 28-23 overall and 15-13 in conference play. Southeastern Louisiana dropped to 31-20 and 17-11. The Cowboys took a 3-1 lead in the season series between the two teams.

The game turned decisively in the bottom of the fifth inning when McNeese erupted for seven runs on six hits, turning a 4-3 lead into an 11-3 advantage. The outburst included a two-run double by Isaiah Keller, a sacrifice fly by DJ Pinkerton and a two-run double by Matt Stancliff. Stancliff finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs.

Southeastern Louisiana had taken the early lead despite managing only five hits in the game. The Lions scored three runs in the fourth inning on a three-run home run by shortstop Connor Cuff, his 14th of the season. Cuff went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and five RBIs.

McNeese had struck first with four runs in the third inning, all unearned after a fielding error by Lions third baseman Bryce Perry. Stancliff drove in the first run with a single, and later runs scored on an error, a double by Conner Stringfellow and a single by Keller.

After the Cowboys’ seven-run fifth, the Lions fought back in the sixth. With the bases loaded, Cuff walked to force in a run, and consecutive walks and a hit by pitch brought home three more runs, cutting the deficit to 11-6. But McNeese answered immediately in the bottom half.

Pinkerton crushed a two-run homer to left field, his fourth of the season, and later runs came on a single by Cooper Golden and a fielder’s choice by Cade Dowell to push the lead to 15-6.

Southeastern Louisiana scored twice in the seventh on Cuff’s two-run double to right center, and Ben Robichaux added a solo home run in the eighth, his 12th of the season. Robichaux finished 1-for-4.

Jake Blackwell pitched three innings of relief for McNeese, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out five. Cooper Golden started and went four innings, giving up three earned runs on three hits with three strikeouts. Luke Barbier struck out five in 2⅔ innings for the Lions, allowing two runs on no hits.

Keller had two hits and three RBIs for the Cowboys. Pinkerton drove in three runs. Stancliff also knocked in three. For Southeastern Louisiana, Cuff’s five RBIs led all batters.