LAKE CHARLES, La. - The Golden Grizzlies battled hard during its second weekend series of the season but dropped all three, all by just one run, this weekend against McNeese State at Joe Miller Ballpark.

GAME ONE - FRIDAY, FEB. 21: OAKLAND 0, MCNEESE STATE 1
The Golden Grizzlies fell in a tightly contested 1-0 battle against McNeese State to open the series Friday.

Oakland's starter Hunter Pidek was impressive, tossing seven innings and allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out six. The sole rune came in the third when McNeese broke through with back-to-back doubles to push ahead.

Offensively, Oakland struggled to solve McNeese starter Aidan Gravel, who pitched six shutout innings with 12 strikeouts. The Golden Grizzlies' best chance came in the seventh inning when the team had two on with just one out, but a double play quickly ended the inning.

Reliever Tanner Ware added a scoreless eighth for Oakland, but the Golden Grizzlies couldn't find home in the final frame, dropping the series opener, 1-0.

GAME TWO - SATURDAY, FEB. 22: OAKLAND 4, MCNEESE STATE 5
The game started as a pitcher's duel, with both teams held scoreless through the first two innings. Freshman Grant Garman got the start for Oakland and worked efficiently early, keeping McNeese's bats quiet.

Oakland's offense came alive in the top of the third inning. John Lauinger and Aidan Schuck both laid down a single, as a Sam Griffith reached on a fielders choice to juice the bases. An error by the right fielder sent Lauinger home, followed by a ground out to make it 2-0 Oakland. Brandon Nigh lofted a sacrifice fly to right field, sending Griffith home, to cap off the trio of runs scored by the Golden Grizzlies.

McNeese responded quickly in the bottom half of the third. After a leadoff double by Marcus Heusohn, the Cowboys took advantage of a RBI double to cut into Oakland's lead. In the fourth inning, McNeese continued to chip away as a solo home run made it 3-2.

The game remained tight until the bottom of the sixth, when McNeese knotted the game up a three a side, but it wasn't long before Oakland responded. With two outs, the team rallied as Ben Clark got on the bags off an error and advanced towards second off a Lauinger single. Another Schuck hit sent Clark rushing from second to home to regain the lead.

However, McNeese quickly answered in their half of the seventh off a RBI single to tie the game back up.

Both bullpens battled through the eighth inning, as Oakland was held scoreless in the ninth. The Golden Grizzlies nearly forced extra innings, but a two-out home run sealed the game for McNeese, 5-4.

GAME THREE - SUNDAY, FEB. 23: OAKLAND 3, MCNEESE STATE 4
Just like the day before, the game started as a pitching duel, with Oakland's Brody Fahnestock and McNeese's Paul Coppinger trading scoreless innings through five. Fahnestock kept the Cowboys' bats in check, scattering five hits while recording three strikeouts over 5.1 innings. Oakland looked to take a charge in the fourth, as it had two on with just one out, but the Cowboys retired the next two batters to leave a pair stranded.

Oakland added its first run in the top of the sixth as both John Lauinger and Aidan Schuck reached base after being hit by a pitch. Lauinger eventually came around to score as he used keen base running and headed home off a wild pitch.

The Cowboys broke through in the bottom of the sixth, capitalizing on a bases loaded walk and a RBI single.

McNeese added what it thought was an insurance run in the seventh off a single, but Oakland didn't count itself out.

Refusing to go quietly, Oakland rallied in the eighth inning. Lauinger sparked the offense with a single and later crossed the plate on a Matthew McGann sacrifice fly. Trent Rice slapped a single towards left field for a RBI single, bringing home Schuck who got on base off a single, to tie the game at 3-3.

The game came down to the bottom of the ninth as the Cowboys loaded the bases with one out and eventually hit the go-ahead single to take the game, 4-3.

The Golden Grizzlies return to the diamond tomorrow as it continues on the road to Beaumont, Texas, to face off against Lamar live on ESPN+, slated for 3:00 p.m. ET.