HAMMOND, La. (Interstat) — Southeastern Louisiana hosts McNeese State on Saturday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field in a Southland Conference series with postseason implications. The Lions enter at 31-20, while the Cowboys are 28-23.

The series opener Friday saw McNeese State outlast Southeastern Louisiana 15-9 in a high-scoring affair. Cowboys center fielder DJ Pinkerton went 1 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs, continuing a productive stretch. Over his past four wins, Pinkerton has driven in nine runs and homered twice. He is hitting .333 in that span, with four RBIs in a win over Nicholls State on May 14 and four more against Northwestern State on May 9.

Southeastern Louisiana shortstop Connor Cuff matched Pinkerton’s power Friday, going 2 for 4 with a home run and five RBIs. The performance extended a torrid month for Cuff, who has seven RBIs in his past two games and has homered in three of his last five contests. He went 3 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs against Nicholls State on May 7 and had a three-hit, three-RBI game against Houston Christian on April 24.

The teams have split four meetings this season. After Friday’s win, McNeese State took two of three from the Lions in Lake Charles in March, including a 8-7, 11-inning victory March 21. Southeastern Louisiana won the series opener March 20 but dropped the finale 8-2.

Key contributors for McNeese State on Friday included pitcher Jake Blackwell, who threw three innings of relief, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out five. Second baseman Matt Stancliff went 3 for 5 with three RBIs. For Southeastern Louisiana, pitcher Luke Barbier worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing no hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts, and second baseman Ben Robichaux hit a home run and drove in two.

McNeese State has won six of its past seven games, with the lone loss coming at Houston on April 29. Southeastern Louisiana has won five of its last seven, including a 3-2 victory over Houston Christian on May 14.

First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT. The Lions host Houston Christian on Sunday.