ABILENE, Texas—McNeese softball bounced back from its first conference loss of the season with a 13-6 rubber game victory over Abilene Christian Saturday to take the series 2-1.
McNeese (25-12, 11-1 SLC) scored six of its 13 runs off two home runs by
Rachel Smith and one by
Erika Piancastelli. Smith had a career day at the plate by not only hitting her first career home run in the fourth inning. Smith hit her second career home run and second of the game in the seventh inning. Smith and Piancastelli both ended the day with three RBI's apiece.
Also picking up two hits in the game along with Smith and Piancastelli was
Emily Vincent and
Lauren Langner.
Smith also picked up the win to improve to 9-3 on the season. She gave up six runs on six hits in six innings, ending the game with six strikeouts and four walks.
McNeese scored at least one run in all but one inning and ended the game with 11 hits. The Cowgirls opened the game with three runs in the first on a two RBI triple by Vincent and a RBI ground out by Langner.
Abilene Christian (6-24, 2-10 SLC) scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning to cut the McNeese lead to 3-2. Two more runs crossed the plate for McNeese in the second via a two RBI single up the middle by
Marisa Taunton for a 5-2 McNeese lead.
After ACU scored a run in the third, McNeese outscored ACU 8-3 in the final four innings.
Smith helped her cause in the circle by giving the Cowgirls a 6-3 lead in the fourth with her first career home run. McNeese got two more runs in the fifth on RBI's by
Tori Yanitor and another RBI by Langner for an 8-3 lead.
ACU scored three runs in the bottom of the inning off a three-run home run by Peyton Hedrick, cutting the McNeese lead to 8-6.
Piancastelli answered the ACU homer with a three-run shot of her own to left center field for her 13
th home run of the season and third of the series for an 11-6 lead.
Smith capped the McNeese scoring off with her second career home run and second of the game with a two run blast to right center in the seventh to give McNeese the 13-6 win.
McNeese will host Louisiana-Lafayette in a single game on Wednesday, April 1 at 6 p.m.