McNeese State is looking for a starter to give it solid innings on Sundays. A candidate presented himself on Tuesday night.

Trey McGee threw six shutout innings against Louisiana-Monroe, helping the Cowboys break a four-game losing streak with a 6-2 win over the Warhawks (13-20).

“I’m searching for a third starter on the weekends, and he’ll get the ball on Sunday,” said McNeese coach Terry Burrows. “Hopefully he’ll give us a good start at the back end.”

McGee (2-2) knew the stakes going in.

“(Pitching coach) Zach Butler told me before the game, ‘You’re throwing for a (weekend) spot. No pressure,” McGee said. “It was nice knowing in the back of your head you have something that you’re throwing for. You’re not just wasting innings in a midweek game.”

Usually a reliever, McGee added a pitch to his repertoire for the start.

“Coming out of the ’pen it’s usually fastball-slider,” McGee said. “I think I threw about two sliders all game. I threw a lot of changeups, especially when I was behind in a count. Guys light up when they see that coming down the middle, and then they pop up.”

The Cowboys (18-13) added some hits to back up McGee’s performance, though not immediately. Burrows was said he disappointed McNeese was only able to score one run when ULM starter Christo Jones (0-1) walked four batters in the first inning.

“The only thing a little frustrating was we didn’t give the starter the knockout punch,” Burrows said. “That was the same thing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend. We had the starter on the ropes and nobody could deliver the big blow to put up a crooked number.”

Michael Sullivan got the offense moving in the third with a two-run homer to left that got up in the jet stream and carried over the wall.

The Cowboys added a couple more runs in the fourth on hits by Andrew Guillotte and Chayse Marion.

Sullivan got his third RBI of the night when he singled home Connor Lloyd in the seventh.

The Cowboys bullpen got some good news when Jacob Williams worked a scoreless seventh in his first appearance since March 1. Williams left that game against Louisiana Tech with a shoulder injury after facing one batter.

“I was really scared something was wrong with him,” Burrows said. “(Trainer) J.D. Boudreaux did a tremendous job of getting him back from injury. Jacob’s a big part of what we’re doing as a pitching staff and it’s good to have him back.”

NOTES: Brothers Chad and Coby Miller, both of Sulphur, had the chance to face off as opponents Tuesday. Chad tossed a scoreless 1 1/3 innings for the Warhawks. Coby finished the game for McNeese, striking out two while allowing two runs on three hits in two innings.

McNeese State’s Michael Sullivan is congratulated after hitting a three-run homer against Louisiana-Monroe Tuesday night. (Rick Hickman / American Press)