LAKE CHARLES-- McNeese softball missed an opportunity to widen its lead in the conference standings tonight due to the fact that Abilene Christian lost 3-2 at Sam Houston State in the second game of a doubleheader but the Cowgirls fell 6-1 to Lamar in the first game of Friday's doubleheader before evening the series one game apiece with a 10-2 second game victory. The rubber match is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday. The game can be heard on the McNeese Radio Network (1310 KEZM) and kezmonline.com. Streaming and live stats will also be available.
McNeese (31-16, 17-3 SLC) was kept off balance and picked up only three hits against Lamar's starter Ciara Luna and the Cowgirls didn't help their cause by committing four errors.
Lamar (23-22, 13-7 SLC) came out aggressive and opened the game by scoring a run in the first inning on two hits to take a 1-0 lead. McNeese left the tying run on third in the bottom of the inning then was retired in order the following two innings before tying the game one all in the fourth.
McNeese took advantage of a Lamar error that scored
Hailey Drew to tie the game but that was all the Cowgirls would score as the Cardinals took the lead for good in the fifth then added two more runs in both the sixth and seventh innings.
The Cowgirls bounced back in a big way in the nightcap and scored 10 runs on 12 hits in five innings to even the series with the 6-1 win.
McNeese didn't waste any time getting on the scoreboard by taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two RBI single through the right side by
Alexandria Saldivar.
Lamar cut the lead in half in the second by scoring one run but McNeese got the run back in the bottom of the second when
Carleigh Chaumont scored on an error for a 3-1 lead. Lamar wouldn't go away too easy as they scored a single run in the third to cut the lead to 3-2 but that would be the last run scored for the Cardinals in the game.
Cowgirls pitcher
Baylee Corbello helped her cause with a RBI single that brought Chaumont home for the second tine in the game that gave McNeese a 4-2 lead.
McNeese broke the game open in the fifth inning by scoring six runs to pick up the run-rule win.
Erika Piancastelli began the scoring with a one-out solo homerun over the left field wall that hit the scoreboard. The long ball is Piancastelli's 10
th of the season. She ended the game going 3-for-3 with two RBI.
Saldivar knocked in pinch runner
JaMaiya Miller for a 6-2 lead. Chaumont singled in Saldivar, pinch hitter
Megan Holmes singled to right field to score
Marisa Taunton and
Justyce McClain laid a bunt down that scored Chaumont for a 9-2 lead.
With two outs and runners on second and third,
Hailey Drew was hit by a pitch to load the bases to bring Piancastelli up to the plate. Piancastelli patiently waited for a pitch to hit and with a 3-1 count, she singled up the middle to score Holmes for the walk-off win.
Chaumont also ended the game with three hits, going 3-for-3 with one RBI and scored three runs. Saldivar ended the game going 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Corbello improved to 7-3 on the year with the complete game victory. She gave up two runs on three hits, walked one and struck out five.
Lamar used three pitchers in the game with starter Laura Napoli absorbing the loss to fall to 9-9 on the season. Napoli gave up five runs on seven hits, one walk in 2/3 innings.
