LAKE CHARLES – The McNeese State softball team kicked off the 2015 Cowgirl Classic tournament with a bang Thursday night, which was highlighted by freshman Erika Piancastelli's two run bomb in the sixth inning to help the Cowgirls cruise by Drake, 6-1.
 
McNeese improved to 10-5 overall on the season and have now won seven of its last 10 contests. Drake dropped to 6-6 on the season after nearly avoiding its second shutout of the season.
 
Junior Jamie Allred (1-2) picked up her first victory of the season after firing off seven innings, allowing five hits and no earned runs to score. Allred struck out a season high 10 batters in the process.
 
The Cowgirls fired off six hits at the plate with senior Lauren Langner turning in a multi-hit performance batting 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Piancastelli led the hitting core with three RBIs followed by Hailey Drew and Brooke David who each drove in a run.
 
McNeese offered no hesitation to score in the first frame as the Cowgirls decided to signaled Drew to take home on a hit-and-run from Piancastelli. With Drake deciding to take action at the dish, it was down to the wire but Drew was signaled safe at the plate and put McNeese up 1-0.
 
Another run was tacked on in the fourth inning following an RBI single from Drew that scored pinch runner Marisa Taunton while another fielder's choice in the bottom of the fifth inning allowed Morgan Catron to score and extend McNeese's lead to three runs over the Bulldogs.
 
The game was put away in the next inning as Piancastelli's missile over the left center wall drove in Langner from second base.
 
Drake avoided a shutout in the final inning due to a fielding error that allowed shortstop Kaitlyn Finneran to score after sending off a triple deep to right field.
 
McNeese will be back in action tomorrow as the Cowgirls take on Texas Tech beginning at 6 o'clock at Cowgirl Diamond.
 
McNeese 6, Drake 1 (Feb 26, 2015 at Lake Charles, La.)
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Drake............... 000 000 1 -  1  5  3      (6-6)
McNeese............. 100 113 X -  6  6  2      (10-5)
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Pitchers: Drake - Schmidt, Rebekah; Smith, Kailee(6) and Smith, Kailee; Chambers, Ashlie.
McNeese - Allred, Jamie and David, Brooke.
Win-Allred, Jamie(1-0)  Loss-Schmidt, Rebekah(3-5)  T-2:11  A-233
HR MCN - Piancastelli, Erika (2).