LAKE CHARLES—McNeese softball took care of business here Saturday by completing a series sweep over UCA on its way to capturing the 2016 Southland Conference title and the no. 1 seed in next week's Southland Conference Tournament May 11-13 in Lake Charles with a 7-2 first game victory before putting an exclamation mark on the title with a 10-2, five inning run rule win to cap off senior day.
McNeese (39-12, 23-4 SLC) has now won three of the last four regular season Southland Conference championships and earned a first round bye in next week's tournament. The Cowgirls will play the winner of #4 seed Central Arkansas and #5 seed Stephen F. Austin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Nicholls also earned a bye as the #2 seed. Lamar will be the #3 seed and Sam Houston State will be the #6 seed.
It was seniors
Jamie Allred and
Emily Vincent who shined in the circle on their day as Allred picked up the second game victory to tie the McNeese career victories record of 67 held by Megan Bond. Allred improves to 16-3 on the year. Vincent picked up the 7-1 win in the opening game to improve to 14-3. She ended the game with 10 strikeouts and gave up two hits.
Sophomore
Erika Piancastelli also became the McNeese career home run leader with her 39
th career long ball in the third inning of game two that gave the Cowgirls a 5-0 lead.
McNeese jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game one on two hits and one UCA error in the first inning. Two innings later the Cowgirls added two more runs on stolen bases by
Taylor Goree and Vincent. After Vincent reached on a fielder's choice, she made her way around the horn by stealing three straight bases including home.
UCA (35-19, 16-10 SLC) scored an unearned run in the fifth to avoid the shutout.
The Cowgirls got the run back in the bottom of the inning on
Morgan Catron's fourth homerun of the season then scored another run in the sixth when Marissa Taunton scored on a pass ball.
McNeese collected seven hits and were led by
Justyce McClain's three hits.
Tori Yanitor had two hits and Catron had two RBI and scored two runs.
The Bears took the early lead in the nightcap by scoring a single run in the first on a Cowgirl error and a pass ball.
It didn't take long for the Cowgirl bats to get going as they put up four runs in the bottom of the first on three hits including Catron's second homerun of the day, a three run homer that gave McNeese a 4-1 lead.
McNeese extended its lead to 6-1 in the third with two runs. Piancastelli's career record-breaking homerun led the inning off then Vincent singled up the middle for the second run of the inning.
The Cowgirls would go on to score four runs in he fourth with no outs to take a 10-2 lead. A double by Piancastelli brought home McClain and pinch runner
Megan Trahan. Trahan pinch ran for
Aubree Turbeville who led the inning off with a walk. McClain also drew a consecutive walk to put to on for Piancastelli.
Piancastelli ended the day with three hits, three RBI and scored three runs. Catron picked up two hits, three RBI and scored two runs.
The Southland Conference Tournament will begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday with no. 3 seed Lamar taking on #6 seed Sam Houston State. Fourth seed Central Arkansas will face no. 5 seed Stephen F. Austin at 1:30. No. 2 seed will face the winner of the Lamar/Sam Houston State game at 4 p.m. followed by the Cowgirls' game at 6:30.
Southland Conference 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.
