BEAUMONT, Texas — The Cowboys decided to take an unconventional road to taking its opening Southland Conference series of the season against Lamar.

McNeese rallied from a 9-0 deficit, capped by designated hitter Michael Sullivan’s two-run double in the top of the seventh inning, lifting McNeese to a 14-13 win and a series victory over Lamar on Sunday.

The Cowboys (14-9, 2-1 SLC) will be back in action Thursday as Northwestern State (9-17, 0-3 SLC) visits for a three-game series.

McNeese exploded for 15 hits in the series finale. First baseman Chayse Marion led the Cowboys, going 3-for-6 with a homer in the fifth and a career-high six RBIs. Left-fielder Jackson Gooch finished with two hits and three RBIs. Connor Lloyd, Matt Williams, Matt Henry and Andrew Guillotte each added two hits apiece.

Senior Tyler Parke (1-0) picked up his third career win. He tossed six innings in relief work, allowing only one earned run on eight hits and striking out five batters. Lamar reliever Jerin Spikes (0-1) was charged with the loss after pitching the last 31⁄3 innings and giving up four runs on seven hits.

The Cardinals (20-6, 1-2 SLC) got out to an early 9-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

The Cowboys got on the board in the top of the second when Williams doubled to right-center scoring Reed Gordy, who had singled earlier in the inning, to make the score 9-1. The next batter, Henry, laced a two-run single to left field, scoring Williams and Phillip Lebleu, cutting McNeese’s deficit to six runs.

Henry scored on a ground out to first from Marion while Lloyd reached home on a double from Gooch to cut the lead to a 9-5.

Marion scored two more runners in the top of the third on a single to right field, getting McNeese within two runs.

Lamar responded with three runs in the fourth, highlighted by a run-scoring double down the left field line by V.J. Bunner off reliever Tyler Parke. Another run scored off of a single by Jude Vidrine extended the Cardinals lead to 12-7.

McNeese responded in the top of the fifth with a three-run inning of its own beginning when it cut the deficit to 12-10 after Marion launched a three-run homer with two outs off Lamar reliever Brown.

The Cardinals tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth as Vidrine hit a two-out RBI double to left center giving Lamar a 13-10 lead.

McNeese pulled within one after Gooch’s two-RBI single plated Lloyd and Henry.

With two outs and runners in scoring position, Sullivan drove home the go-ahead run on a two-RBI double to left center, scoring Gooch and Marion and giving McNeese the deciding 14-13 lead, the Cowboys’ first of the game.

Junior Lucas Quary pitched a scoreless final inning, picking up his second save of the year.

McNeese State senior Tyler Parke (1-0) picked up his third career win. (American Press Archives)