The 16th-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns baseball team couldn’t overcome some costly errors early in the ballgame as the Cajuns fell 7-2 to McNeese State Wednesday night at Cowboy Diamond.

With the loss, the Ragin’ Cajuns drop to 5-4 on the year, while the Cowboys even their record at 4-4.

“We have to grind things out and pitch better and play defense,” head coach Tony Robichaux said. “We gave them some cheap runs and let them settle in, and didn’t convert a couple chances offensively. You can’t do that if you want to win ballgames. We have to do a better job on defense and stay in the ballgame.”

Starter Evan Guillory was handed his second loss of the season after giving up three runs (one earned) on two hits in five innings. Guillory struck out six and walked two.

Left-hander Austin Sanders improved to 1-1 on the season, limiting the Cajuns to one run on five hits in 5.1 innings of work.

Both teams had seven hits on the evening with catcher Nick Thurman posting a game-high two hits.

McNeese went in front 1-0 in the bottom of the second on a sac fly to right by Matt Gallier. In the next at bat, the Cowboys extended the lead to 2-0 on a fielding error by shortstop Joe Robbins.

An inning later, McNeese State added another run on an error by third basemanBrenn Conrad to make the score 3-0.

The Cajuns broke into the scoring column in the sixth when second basemanStefan Trosclair singled home Robbins from second to cut the lead to 3-1. With runners on the corners and one out, Trosclair was picked off of first by MSU reliever Trent Fonenot. Fontenot then got Steven Sensley to ground into a fielder’s choice after loading the bases with a pair of walks.

The Cowboys put the game out of reach in the eighth inning scoring four runs on five hits to take a six-run lead. A two-out, two-run triple to center by catcher Cameron Toole highlighted the scoring in the inning.

Louisiana scratched across the final run of the game in the top of the ninth on an RBI double to center by Thurman to make the final 7-2.

The Ragin’ Cajuns return to action this weekend as they host Sacred Heart in a three-game series at “The Tigue” starting Friday at 6 p.m.