BATON ROUGE— The 23^rd ranked McNeese softball team split its games on the first day of the LSU Invitational here Friday, picking up a 7-1 win over Purdue in the afternoon before falling 2-0 to 10^th ranked LSU on a two run walk off home run by Amber Serrett in the bottom of the seventh inning later in the evening.
 
The loss snaps a 10-game McNeese winning streak and its only the fourth loss for the Cowgirls this season as they fall to 15-4.
 
McNeese will conclude tournament play with a 9:30 a.m. game against Illinois State and a 2:30 p.m. game against Florida Atlantic Saturday.
 
GAME 1 vs. Purdue
McNeese took an early 5-0 lead by scoring three runs in the first inning and two in the second. A Purdue error allowed McNeese to score its first two runs then Erika Piancastelli scored on grounder that resulted in a double play for a 3-0 lead.
 
One inning late, McNeese added two more runs when Hailey Drew stole third and scored on an error. Brenique Wright's RBI single to centerfield gave McNeese a 5-0 lead.
 
Morgan Catron added to the Cowgirl lead in the third inning with a solo home run, her fourth home run of the season for a 6-0 McNeese lead.
 
The Cowgirls added another run in the fifth to take a 7-0 lead off an Alexandria Saldivar double to left that scored Piancastelli for her second run of the game.
 
Purdue avoided the shutout by scoring its only run of the game in the top of the sixth on a single by Lexi Huffman.
 
Drew led McNeese at the plate, going 2-for3 with one double and a stolen base. Freshman Amber Coons remained undefeated at 4-0 with the complete game victory. Coons gave up six hits, walked one and struck out one.
 
Game 2 vs. #10 LSU
It was a pitcher's dual between McNeese freshman Caroline Settle and senior Allie Walljasper in the final game of the day of the LSU Invitational Friday.
 
McNeese missed an early opportunity to score by leaving the bases loaded in the top of first after Justyce McClain led the game off with a walk. After a strike out by Wright, Piancastelli singled up the middle then went to third on a wild pitch. After Waljasper walked Morgan Catron, she struck out Alexandria Saldivar and Carleigh Chaumont to end the threat.
 
Settles got out of a jam in the bottom of the third after the first two batters reached on Cowgirl errors but Settle got Aliyah Andrews to ground out back to her in the circle for the first out then got Griggs to pop out to her for the second out. With runners on second and third, Settles got Amber Serrett to ground out to short to end the threat.
 
With two outs in the fifth, LSU picked up their first hit of the game off Settles when Andrews singled up the middle but Settles got Griggs to ground out for the third out.
 
Settle came through again in the bottom of the sixth when LSU loaded the bases with two outs. Settle got Schlattman to pop out to Drew at short to end the threat.
 
After walking Drew in the second inning Waljasper retired the next 14 Cowgirls in order until Saldivar's bloop single behind first base in the top of the seventh. McNeese could put anything together as Chaumont hit a fielder's choice to second base and Kristin Deitz grounded out to Waljasper and Drew popped up to Waljasper for the third out, setting up the seventh inning walk off.
 
Settles threw four no-hit innings before the Tigers picked up their first hit of the game by Andrews in the fifth. LSU picked up another hit in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Settles ended the game with five strike outs in 6 2/3 innings, allowed two earned runs on four hits. The loss drops Settles to 4-2 on the season.
 
Waljasper gave up two hits, three walks and struck out eight to improve to 6-1 on the season.