LAKE CHARLES- McNeese softball bounced back from a 10-2, five inning run rule loss in the opening game of its Southland Conference doubleheader against league leading Nicholls Friday night to even the series at one game apiece with a 14-5, five inning run rule win in the nightcap. The rubber game is slated for 12 p.m. Saturday.
 
McNeese (29-15, 11-6 SLC) gave up nine hits in the opening game. Of the 10 runs scored, nine came off five Nicholls (27-12, 12-5) home runs.
 
Nicholls struck first in the second inning by taking a 2-0 lead on solo homeruns by Kali Clement and Moriah Strother. The Colonels hit two more long balls in the third to take a 6-0 lead before the Cowgirls got on the board with two runs in the fourth on a bases loaded walk by Carleigh Chaumont then a sacrifice fly by Justyce McClain. The Cowgirls missed an opportunity to score more runs in the inning when Erika Piancastelli came to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second. Nicholls' Megan Landry got Piancastelli to pop out to second base to end the inning.
 
The Colonels continued to use the long ball in the fifth inning and scored four more run including a three run home run from Samantha Dares that gave Nicholls the 10-2 lead and the eventual win.
 
McNeese was held to three hits with Morgan Catron, Lauren Brown and Brenique Wright accounting for the hits.
 
Alexsandra Flores took he loss to fall to 13-7 overall. Flores gave up four earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. Caroline Settle who replaced Flores gave up two earned runs before giving way to Amber Coons. Coons also gave up four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.
 
Landry improved to 15-6 on the year, giving up two earned runs on three hits in four innings.
 
Game two started out like game one in which Nicholls took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two RBI home run by Clement, her third home run of the day. A solo home run by Frederick in the third gave Nicholls a 3-0 lead.
 
McNeese got things going in the third inning by scoring four runs on four hits and used three Nicholls errors to take a 4-3 lead and one that the Cowgirls never gave up.
 
Chaumont started the rally with a double to right center field before she came home on a single by McClain. Catron's two out double down the right field line scored McClain to cut the lead to 3-2 before Alexandria Saldivar's single to center tied the game at three all. Edwards stole second then went to third on and error by Nicholls catcher Strother who attempted to throw Edwards out at second but the ball sailed into center field. The centerfielder, Kelsey Miller misplayed the ball and the ball rolled to the wall, allowing Edwards to score the go ahead run for a 4-3 lead.
 
It didn't take Nicholls long to tie the game as Strother hit the eighth Nicholls home run of the day to tie the game at four.
 
McNeese's hitting came to life in a big way in the bottom half of the inning and the Cowgirls blew the game open with a 10-run, six hit inning to take a 14-4 lead, all with two outs.
 
Turbeville led the inning off with a walk followed by a single down the left field line by Chaumont. Both players advanced on a ground out by Tayler Strother. After Turbeville was thrown out at home, Piancastelli drew a walk to load the bases. Catron waited patiently until she drew a bases loaded walk to score Chaumont for the 5-4 lead. A two RBI single by Edwards put the Cowgirls up 7-5 then another two RBI single by Brown extended the lead to 9-4 before Nicholls made a pitching change.
 
The first batter Nicholls reliever Amanda Holliday faced was Brenique Wright who homered to centerfield for an 11-4 lead. A single to short by Strother scored another run then a single up the middle by McClain scored another two runs for a 14-4 lead.
 
Nicholls would get one run back in the fifth on a two out RBI single by Amanda Gianelloni before Cowgirl starter Ashely Koncir got Strother to fly out to right field to end the game.
 
Koncir improved to 4-0 on the year with the complete game. She gave up five earned runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
 
Holliday took the loss to fall to 1-1 after giving up six earned runs on three hits.
 
McNeese ended the game with 10 hits with Chaumont and McClain picking up two apiece. Chaumont was 2-for-2 with a double and scored three runs. McClain was 2-for-4 and scored two runs.