<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739593553707.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State Athletics
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LAKE CHARLES, La. &ndash;&nbsp;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. &nbsp; 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. &nbsp; The game was scoreless into the bottom of the third inning as Wichita State starter&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brady-hamilton/9179" rel="smarttag" rev="9179" data-airgap-id="58">Brady Hamilton</a></dfn>&nbsp;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&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/josh-livingston/9185" rel="smarttag" rev="9185" data-airgap-id="59">Josh Livingston</a></dfn>&nbsp;forced home a run that knotted the score at 1-1. &nbsp; 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. &nbsp; 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. &nbsp; Wichita State (0-1) finished with just six hits on the night, with&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jaden-gustafson/9178" rel="smarttag" rev="9178" data-airgap-id="60">Jaden Gustafson's</a></dfn>&nbsp;ninth inning double the lone extra-base hit. &nbsp; Hamilton (0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs over 4.2 innings.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/drew-iverson/9182" rel="smarttag" rev="9182" data-airgap-id="61">Drew Iverson</a></dfn>,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jeremiah-arnett/9174" rel="smarttag" rev="9174" data-airgap-id="62">Jeremiah Arnett</a></dfn>,&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/karsen-richard/9405" rel="smarttag" rev="9405" data-airgap-id="63">Karsen Richard</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/owen-reynolds/9397" rel="smarttag" rev="9397" data-airgap-id="64">Owen Reynolds</a></dfn>&nbsp;also worked in relief out of the Shocker bullpen. &nbsp; The Shockers and Cowboys continue the series on Saturday morning. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 am.</div>

⚾ Shockers stymied in season opener