LAKE CHARLES, La. – Wichita State mustered just one hit from the fourth inning on as the Shockers dropped the 2025 season opener to McNeese, 7-1 on Friday night at Joe Miller Ballpark.
 
McNeese (1-0) got 5.0 innings of one-hit, one-run relief from Sergio Lopez and broke a 1-1 deadlock with six runs over the final four innings, highlighted by a three-run bottom of the seventh.
 
The game was scoreless into the bottom of the third inning as Wichita State starter Brady Hamilton and McNeese southpaw Alexis Gravel traded zeroes. A solo home run from Conner Westenburg in the bottom of the third got the Cowboys on the board first, but the Shockers answered back with a run of their own in the top of the fifth thanks to a two-out walk and three consecutive hit by pitches, the last of which from Josh Livingston forced home a run that knotted the score at 1-1.
 
The Cowboys quickly retook the lead in the home half of the frame as Matt Stancliff sliced an RBI double to the gap in left-center field and two batters later Marcus Heusohn plated Stancliff with a run-scoring single of his own for a 3-1 advantage.
 
The big blow came in the seventh when Mack Brousseau lined an opposite field, two-out, two-run double that swelled the lead to 5-1. A Wichita State throwing error tacked on another in the inning, then Stancliff provided the final tally with an eighth inning sacrifice fly.
 
Wichita State (0-1) finished with just six hits on the night, with Jaden Gustafson's ninth inning double the lone extra-base hit.
 
Hamilton (0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs over 4.2 innings. Drew Iverson, Jeremiah Arnett, Karsen Richard and Owen Reynolds also worked in relief out of the Shocker bullpen.
 
The Shockers and Cowboys continue the series on Saturday morning. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 am.