COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Junior Cory McCrary's two run homerun in the top of the seventh inning gave McNeese softball a 6-4 win over Rutgers in the opening game of the Texas A&M Invitational Friday. The Cowgirls ended the day with a 2-1, 8 inning loss to 22nd ranked Texas A&M.
The long ball was McCrary's only hit of the game and it marked her third career homerun and first in D1.
The Cowgirls collected nine hits in the game and were led at the plate by
Demi Boudreaux's 3 for 4 appearance.
McCrary was joined in the homerun club by sophomore Tony Perrin who started a four-run second inning with a two RBI homerun for a 2-1 McNeese lead. The homerun was the first of her career.
Demi Boudreaux doubled down the left field line that scored
Haylee Brinlee then
Justyce McClain stole home for a 4-1 Cowgirl lead.
Rutgers came back to tie the game at four apiece in the third inning with three runs on a two RBI double and a ground out to short.
Neither team was able to push any runs across for the next three innings until McCrary's homerun broke the tie.
Boudreaux double to centerfield with one out then
Alexandria Saldivar grounded out to the pitcher. McCrary sent the first pitch she saw of that at bat over the centerfield wall to give McNeese the 6-4 lead and the eventual win.
Sophomore
Caroline Settle (1-2) picked up her first win of the season in relief of starter
Alexsandra Flores. Settle replaced Flores in the fifth inning and held the Scarlet Knights scoreless in the five batters she faced, allowing one walk.
Flores gave up four earned runs on four hits with three walks in five complete innings.
After falling behind 1-0 to 22
nd ranked Texas A&M in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly centerfield, McCrary struck again in the top of the seventh inning with a solo homerun to even the game up at one all. The homerun is McCrary's second of the day. For the second straight time on Friday, McCrary sent the first pitch she saw from the at bat all the way to the scoreboard behind the left field fence.
McNeese held TAMU scoreless in the bottom of the seventh sending the game into extra innings where the tie-breaker rule was utilized, placing a runner on second base to begin the inning.
Taylor Edwards was placed on second then
Padyn Williams pinch ran for Edwards. Williams went to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Sara Geier. Texas A&M got out of the inning when the Aggies third baseman stole a base hit from
Brenique Wright who lined out to third base and she tagged the base to double up on Williams for the third out.
The Aggies placed their runner on second base, pinch runner Taudrea Sinnie. Sinne went to third base on a single to left by Ashlynn Walls. A sacrifice fly by Morgan Smith allowed Sinne to slide in safely at home, just pass the tag of Cowgirl catcher
Aubree Turbeville.
McCrary and McClain both picked up two hits in the game and Turbeville was credited with one hit.
Saleen Flores (0-1) took the loss in relief of starter
Amber Coons. Coons gave up one unearned run on four hits in four innings and Flores allowed one unearned run on one hit with two strikeouts.
McNeese will face Liberty at 10 a.m. and Rutgers at 5:15 p.m. Saturday before closing out tournament play against Texas A&M at 12:15 p.m. Sunday.