LAKE CHARLES--  Fourteenth ranked Baylor scored three runs in the final two innings to pick up an 8-5 softball victory over McNeese here Thursday night.
 
With the scored tied at five all after four innings, Baylor took the lead for good with a run in the sixth on a RBI single by Shelby Friudenberg.  Cowgirl pitcher Jamie Allred, who was in relief of starter Rachel Smith, walked Lindsey Cargill and Ari Hawkins with one out to start the sixth.  Allred was then replaced by Emily Vincent who gave up the single to Friudenberg.
 
Baylor plated two more runs in the seventh on two hits and two Cowgirl errors to extend the lead to 8-5.  Back-to-back errors helped Baylor score the first run of the inning then Vincent intentionally walked Friudenberg to load the bases. With two outs and no place to put designated player Lindsey Hays. Vincent walked Hays on for the second run of the inning before getting Jordan Strickland to pop out to short for the third out.
 
Baylor sent their ace Heather Stearns to the circle for the final three outs of the game. Stearns got Lauren Langner to go down looking before Erika Piancastelli popped up to first for the second out. Vincent kept the Cowgirls' hopes alive with a two-out single to right center. The game ended one batter later when Tori Yanitor popped out to second base.
 
McNeese took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on a run by Yanitor. Baylor responded with four runs on four hits in the top of the third to take a 4-3 lead.  The Cowgirls kept up with Baylor and scored three runs of their own on three hits and one Baylor error in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at four apiece. Piancastelli hit her 14^th home run of the season, a two run shot to centerfield to cut the lead to one before a Taylor Schmidt single scored Yanitor to tie the game.
 
Baylor retook the lead (5-4) with a run from Robin Landrith but the Cowgirls got the run back on a single by Taylor Goree to tie the game at five.
 
McNeese picked up eight hits and was led by Piancastelli, Vincent and Schmidt with two apiece. Piancastelli's other hit was a double in the first inning.
 
McNeese used three pitchers in the game and Baylor used four. Allred took the loss for the Cowgirls, falling to 6-7 on the season. Allred gave up two runs on one hit and struck out one in three innings.
 
Sarah Beth Toben improved to 7-0 on the year with the win. Toben threw three shutout innings, gave up two hits, one walk and struck out one.
 
Stearns earned her fourth save of the season in one inning of work, giving up one hit and struck out one.
 
McNeese (26-15, 12-3 SLC) will return to Southland Conference action this weekend to host co-conference leaders Northwestern State (22-14, 12-2 SLC) in a three-game series beginning with a single game at 6 p.m. Friday.  The series will conclude with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.