LAKE CHARLES—The league's top two hitting teams and top two pitchers will clash this weekend when league leading McNeese travels to third place Lamar for the first time since softball returned to Lamar four years ago for an important Southland Conference softball series that will begin with a 6 p.m. doubleheader Friday.
The series will conclude with a single game at 3 p.m. Saturday. All three games can be heard live on kezmonline.com. Streaming will not be available but live stats will. All links can be found on mcneesesports.com
McNeese (33-11, 18-3 SLC) will enter the weekend 1½ games ahead of second place Nicholls (33-14, 16-4 SLC). The Colonels will host Southeastern La. this weekend and Lamar next weekend. McNeese is two games ahead of third place Lamar (30-16, 16-5 SLC). The Cowgirls will close out the regular season by hosting Central Arkansas next weekend before hosting the conference tournament May 11-13.
McNeese is coming off a 5-2 road loss at #12 LSU on Tuesday that snapped a five game winning streak. The Cowgirls enter the series with a .307 team batting average, as does Lamar. McNeese also leads the conference with a .470 slugging percent, runs scored and RBI. Lamar is second in the SLC in runs scored and RBI. The Cowgirl pitching staff leads the conference in strikeouts and is second with a 2.19 ERA. Lamar is third with a 2.82 ERA.
Sophomore
Erika Piancastelli continues to lead McNeese with an overall .409 average, 20 homeruns and is one shy of becoming the school's career leader. Piancastelli is batting .513 in conference games only and has a 1.564 slugging percent with 38 walks.
The Cowgirls have plenty of firepower to go along with Piancastelli in the lineup. Junior
Marisa Taunton leads McNeese with 51 hits and is batting .364 in the leadoff spot along 21 stolen bases.
Hailey Drew is batting .355 with 33 hits and 14 stolen bases. Also batting over .300 is
Morgan Catron (.310) and has been hit by a pitch 22 times this season.
Tori Yanitor is batting .302 with a team high 10 doubles while
Justyce McClain is batting .309 with 25 hits and
Emily Vincent is at .301 with 40 hits.
Jami Allred leads the pitching staff with a 1.65 ERA and is 12-2 on the season. Allred ranks fourth in the SLC with a 1.29 ERA.
Vincent (12-3) has a conference low 1.23 ERA and has won seven of her last eight games. The senior is second in the conference with 60 strikeouts in conference action.
Lamar is 15-1 at home this season and holds a 27-6 overall record at its softball complex that was opened last season.
Brittany Rodriguez leads the Cardinals with a .415 batting average also has 61 hits that ties the record held by current Cowgirl assistant
Candyce Carter. Kelly Meeuwsen is hitting .359 with 20 doubles and 38 RBI.
In the circle for Lamar, Ciara Luna (15-4) has a 2.09 ERA but is perfect in conference games with a 10-0 record and a 1.26 ERA.
McNeese will host the Southland Conference Tournament May 11-13 at Cowgirl Diamond. Tournament tickets are currently on sale and can be purchase in person at the Jack Doland Fieldhouse (M-F, 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m.) or online at mcneesetickets.com.
Tournament ticket prices are $21 for an adult all-tournament pass, $11 for youth (ages 5-17) all-tournament pass. Single day tickets are $11 for adults and $6 for youth. Children under 5 will be admitted free. Southland Conference students will also be admitted free with a university ID.
