THIBODAUX—McNeese softball bounced back from its Southland Conference opening series loss against Nicholls Friday with an 8-4, 7-4 doubleheader win Saturday to clinch the series and remain atop the Southland Conference standings. The losses are the first for Nicholls at home this season.
 
McNeese (30-14, 16-2 SLC) recorded program's ninth straight 30-win season and the first under first year head coach James Landreneaux with the wins.
 
Junior Erika Piancastelli led the Cowgirls on the day going 4-for-7 with four hits including two homeruns, one double along with three RBI and scored four runs. She was walked once and stole one base while producing a .571 average on the day.
 
Piancastelli wasn't the only one sending balls out the park, junior Hailey Drew gave the Cowgirls an early 1-0 lead in the first game with a solo homerun in the first inning.
 
After Nicholls (27-15, 13-5 SLC) scored two runs in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead, Piancastelli led the third inning off with a solo homerun and Carleigh Chaumont gave McNeese a 4-2 lead with a two-run homer following a single by Tori Yanitor.
 
Nicholls was held to only one run in the bottom of the third with the bases loaded to cut the lead to 4-3. Rachel Smith replaced starter Alexandra Flores and got Brooklyn Devine to ground out back to Smith to end the threat.
 
McNeese extended their lead to 7-3 with three more runs in the fourth.
 
Drew doubled down the left field line with one out before Piancastelli drew a walk. A pinch hit single by Marisa Taunton scored Drew for a 5-3 Cowgirl lead. A bunt single by Yanitor and an infield single by Taylor Schmidt scored the other two Cowgirl runs for a 7-3 lead.
 
An RBI single by Justyce McClain in the fifth that scored pinch runner Shelbi Strickland gave McNeese an 8-3 lead.
 
Nicholls scored a run in the sixth for an 8-4 lead before Smith retired the side in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the win.
 
The Cowgirls picked up 13 hits in the game and was led with two apiece from McClain, Drew and Yanitor. Six of the Cowgirl hits were extra base hits.
 
Smith improved to 12-6 with the win in relief. She gave up one run on two hits in 4 1/3 innings.
 
It took a Cowgirl comeback in the rubber game of the series after Nicholls jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning off five hits and one Cowgirl error. The damage could have been worse but Cowgirl starter Baylee Corbello got Brooke Morris to pop out and Friday's hero Kasey Frederick to go down swinging to leave the bases loaded.
 
A five run fourth inning gave the Cowgirls the lead they needed and one they never gave up. The Cowgirls scored their runs on three hits including a two run homerun by Taylor Schmidt that gave McNeese their go ahead runs.
 
Nicholls got one run back in the sixth on a Devine RBI single to cut the McNeese lead to 5-4 before Lauren Brown's pinch hit leadoff triple started things off for the Cowgirls in the seventh. Brown would give McNeese a two run cushion by scoring on a single by Justyce. The final Cowgirl run came on a two out solo homerun by Piancastelli for a 7-4 lead. The homerun was Piancastelli's second of the day and ninth of the season. Piancastelli ended the game 3-for-4 with two RBI and scored two runs. Five of the nine Cowgirls hits were extra base hits.
 
Corbello improved to 6-3 on the year with the complete game victory. She gave up four runs on nine hits, struck out three and walked one.
 
Jackie Johnson took the loss in game one to fall to 14-8 and Megan Landry took the loss in game two to fall to 11-7.