HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Romeo Cortina hit a two-run home run the fourth inning, and Hayden Simerly tacked on a two-run double in the fifth as Sam Houston State beat McNeese State 5-2 Friday in the opening of a three-game Southland Conference series.

Game 2 is at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Tyler Klouser was the Cowboys’ leading hitter, as he finished 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Connor Lloyd and Hans Ask had an RBI apiece.

Jackson Gooch extended his hitting streak to 18 games.

Starter Cody Dickson (5-2) picked up the win after tossing six innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits along with seven strikeouts for the Bearkats (17-12, 5-2 SLC), the defending conference champions.

Freshman starter Bryce Kingsley (5-3) was charged with the loss after allowing five runs on 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings. Relievers Trey McGee and Tyler Parke combined to pitch the final 1 1/3 innings for the Cowboys and allowed no runs or hits.

Sam Houston took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Carter Burgess delivered an RBI single up the middle.

The Cowboys (17-11, 5-2) tied the score in the top of the second as Ask hit an RBI double to score Michael Sullivan.

Lloyd ripped an RBI single to left field to Klouser to give the Cowboys a 2-1 lead in the third.

But, in the bottom half of the inning, Cortina homered to give the Bearkats the lead for good.

Sam Houston added insurance runs in the fifth on Simerly’s two-run double.

(MGNonline)