HATTIESBURG, Miss.—McNeese softball completed play at the Southern Miss Black and Gold Invitational here Sunday with a 5-2 win over the host Golden Eagles to end the tournament with a 2-2 record. The Cowgirl losses came against #11 Baylor and #9 Alabama.
 
McNeese (6-3) collected 10 hits in the game the second game in the tournament where the Cowgirls picked up 10 or more hits. McNeese had a season high 11 hits in the win over Miss. Valley State on Friday night.
 
Sophomore Brenique Wright led the Cowgirls at the plate, going 3-for-3 while senior Erika Piancastelli and junior Justyce McClain collected two hits apiece. Piancastelli accounted for two of the three McNeese RBI.  
 
Sophomore Alexsandra Flores improved to 2-1 on the season with the win in relief of starter freshman Caroline Settle. Flores through three innings of no-hit ball without allowing a run. She struck out two and walked one. Settle gave up two runs on seven hits, two walks and one strike out.
 
The Cowgirls took a 2-0 lead after the second inning when Wright stole home in the second inning for a 1-0 lead before Piancastelli hit her first home run of the season for a 2-0 lead.
 
Southern Miss (2-7) tied the game at two all in the bottom of the third on back-to-back hits. A single by Samantha Papp scored the firs Golden Eagle run of the game then a double by Sarah Van Shaik scored what would eventually be the final S. Miss run of the game.
 
Senior Carleigh Chaumont gave McNeese the lead for good in the sixth inning with a RBI ground out that scored pinch runner Padyn Williams. Senior Hailey Drew who reached base on a single to left field would give McNeese a two run lead (4-2) after scoring on a wild pitch.
 
McNeese added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when Piancastelli hit a one out solo home run over the center field fence for a 5-2 Cowgirl lead.
 
The Cowgirls will continue its 19-game road schedule on Tuesday, February 20 in Tallahassee, Florida with a single game at no. 8 ranked Florida State before facing North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida on Wednesday. The Cowgirls will conclude the week with an appearance in the Eastern Michigan Madeira Beach Spring Invitational in Madeira, Florida. The Cowgirls will face Vilanova, Middle Tennessee, Manhattan College, Delaware and Arkansas.