SULPHUR--  It took a few innings for the McNeese softball bats to warm up in the Cowgirls' 5-1 come from behind win over Holy Cross Monday night.
 
Playing at Frasch Park due to Cowgirl Diamond being soaked from heavy rains in Lake Charles the last two days, the Cowgirls looked a little out of sync in the first couple of innings.
 
In fact, Holy Cross who was playing its first game of the season, looked like the team that was playing their 19^th game of the season as McNeese entered the game with a 12-6 record.
 
The Crusaders came out swinging and picked up eight hits off Cowgirls starter freshman Jolie Trahan. Holy Cross took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after back-to-back singles with one out by Gabby Muniz and Sarah Kane. Another single by pinch hitter Becky Geddes scored the Crusaders' first run of the season.
 
McNeese managed to get their leadoff batter on base in the third and fourth innings but failed to score.
 
McNeese's Hailey Drew was left stranded on third with one out after she led the inning off with a single to right, stole second and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Emily Vincent.
 
In the fourth, Morgan Catron led the inning off for McNeese with a single and tried to stretch the play but was thrown out at second. Holy Cross got out of the inning after two infield pop flies.
 
Holy Cross had a chance to score more runs in the fifth but with runners on first and second, sophomore Rachel Smith replaced Trahan in the circle. Smith walked the first batter she faced to load the bases. Smith got herself and the Cowgirls out of the jam by striking out Emily Krisanda for the second out. Smith then got Emma Keough to ground out to first to end the threat.
 
The Cowgirl bats came alive in the fifth inning as McNeese scored all five runs in the inning off six hits.
 
Marissa Taunton started things off with a single up the middle, stole second and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Goree. Drew's squeeze bunt scored Taunton to tie the game at one apiece. Drew came all the way home on the play to give the Cowgirls a 2-1 lead. An errant throw by Holly Cross' third baseman went all the way into right field in an attempt to throw Drew out at first.
 
Emily Vincent doubled to left and scored on a single by Ericka Piancastelli for a 3-1 Cowgirl lead. Piancastelli gave McNeese a 4-1 lead after she came home on a Lauren Langner RBI single. Langner put the Cowgirls up 5-1 when she crossed the plate on a pinch hit double by Amber Schisler.
 
Smith closed the book on the Crusaders by retiring the side in the seventh for the Cowgirl victory.
 
Drew, Piancastelli and Taunton all went 2 for 3 at the plate in leading the Cowgirl 11-hit attack. Smith improved to 5-2 on the season in 2 2/3 hitless innings. Smith struck out four of the nine batters faced and walked one.
 
McNeese will open Southland Conference play this weekend with a three-game series against Sam Houston State beginning Friday.