LAKE CHARLES—Senior pitcher Rachel Smith's three-run walk off homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning helped McNeese softball clinch the Southland Conference series 2-1 over Northwestern State here Saturday with a 5-2 win in the second game of a doubleheader. McNeese dropped its first conference loss of the season with a 1-0 loss in the opening game Saturday.
 
Northwestern State took the early lead for the second straight game, after taking a 1-0 lead in the opening game.
 
The Lady Demons scored a run in the second on a RBI single to left field by Adele Vincent that scored pinch runner Kayla Roquemore for the early lead. An RBI double by Sidney Salmans in the fifth gave NW State a 2-0 lead.
 
Cowgirl starter Baylee Corbello was replaced by Smith and Smith got Kaylee Isenburg out on a one pitch grounder back to the circle for the final out.
 
Smith retired NW State in order in the top of seventh, setting up the Cowgirl comeback in the bottom of the frame. After a fly out to Smith for the first out, Tori Yanitor reached on an error and cut the NW State lead in half by scoring on a double by Megan Holmes before pinch runner Lauren Brown scored on a Carleigh Chaumont single to tie the game at two all and sent the game into extra innings.
 
Smith remained perfect in the circle in the eighth, getting Julie Rawls and Kellye Kincannon to fly out before Kaylee Isenburg went down looking for the third out, setting up Smith's walk-off homerun.
 
The Cowgirls entered the eighth inning with the top of the lineup coming to the plate. Justyce McClain drew a lead off walk and moved into scoring position by stealing second. Erika Piancastelli also drew a walk. Both players moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt by Alexandria Saldivar to bring Smith to the plate. Smith sent a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall for her first home run of the season and her career fourth.  
 
Smith also picked up the win to improve to 9-5 on the season. She didn't allow a hit, walk or run in 3 1/3 innings while picking up four strike outs.
 
Northwestern State (14-22-1, 4-8 SLC) scored their only run of the first game in the first inning and that was all it took as McNeese (25-12, 11-1) managed only two hits off Mikayla Brown who stuck out five and walked only two batters. Brown got the Cowgirls out 13 times with wither a fly out or an infield pop out. Brown had a no-hitter going until the sixth inning when Alexandria Saldivar single just behind first base. Taylor Schmidt picked up a pinch hit single to left in the seventh inning.