LAKE CHARLES—For the second straight day, McNeese softball scored early and often in its Southland Conference doubleheader win 8-0 (5 inn.) and 7-0 against Sam Houston State Saturday to pick up the series sweep over the Bearkats. McNeese opened the series with a 10-0 (5 inn.) win on Friday. McNeese outscored the Bearkats 25-0 in the series.
 
McNeese, winners of its last seven games and 13 of its last 14, improves to 19-10 on the season and 6-0 in conference play. Sam Houston State falls to 12-14 overall and 3-3 in league play.
 
In the opening game of the series, the Cowgirls brought out the homerun sticks early and took a 4-0 first inning lead.
 
After Justyce McClain tripled down the right field line, All-American Erika Piancastelli hit her first home run at Cowgirl Diamond this season and her fourth of the season with a bomb that went over the scoreboard for a 2-0 lead. Two batters later Baylee Corbello singled before scoring on a two RBI home run by Alexandria Saldivar that hit the scoreboard for a 4-0 McNeese lead.
 
McNeese added three more runs in the third inning to extend its lead to 7-0. Saldivar scored on a bases loaded walk to Taylor Schmidt then got two more runs off a single to left by Hailey Drew. Drew, Piancastelli, Corbello and McClain all had an outstanding weekend at the plate. Drew and Piancastelli both ended the weekend with a .667 batting average, Corbello had a .625 average and McClain ended with a .600 average.
 
Freshman Alexsandra Flores followed senior Rachel Smith's lead in giving up two hits in the game just like Smith did Friday night. Flores improved to 6-2 on the season with the win with the complete game shutout, four strikeouts and didn't allow a walk.
 
Drew led McNeese with three of the 11 Cowgirl hits in the game while Piancastelli was credited with three RBI.
 
Corbello picked up her first shutout of the season in the win in game three of the series to improve to 4-2. She struck out a season high seven and allowed one walk. Corbello helped herself in the circle by picking up two RBI.
 
McNeese took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning via another Piancastelli two run home run, her second of the day. A four run third inning gave the Cowgirls a 6-0 lead. Corbello's single scored the first two runs of the inning. A throwing error allowed Piancastelli to score before Tori Yanitor's sacrifice fly to center allowed Corbello to tag from third for the fourth run of the inning.
 
The Cowgirls added a single run in the fourth on a RBI single by Piancastelli that scored McClain. McClain reached base on a single to right field and her second hit of the game.
Sam Houston State reached third base for the first time in the series and had a chance to avoid the shutout when they left the bases loaded in the sixth with one out. Corbello struck out pinch hitter Hannah Marino for the second out before Katie Andrie was put out at second on a grounder by Megan McDonald to end the threat. Sam Houston State would collect one more hit in the seventh but Corbello got Codi Carpenter to fly out to right field to end the game.
 
Piancastelli and McClain led McNeese's six hit attack with two hits apiece. Piancastelli collected three more RBI to make it six on the day.
 
McNeese will travel to nationally ranked Texas next Wednesday for a single game beginning at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on the Longhorn Network.