LAKE CHARLES—McNeese softball concluded its fall season last week with its annual Blue/Gold series. The Gold team walked away with the Pride Trophy in a come from behind win. After dropping the first game of the series, the Gold team rallied to win the final two games to claim the title.
 
"We had a chance to evaluate several players. All in all, it was a pretty good fall," said head coach James Landreneau. "We have a lot of depth in several positions but there are still a lot of jobs still up in the air."
 
As a team, the Cowgirls are well rounded and will be able to utilize several players in certain situations even though the squad is young. Some of that youth was exposed but the fall served its purpose which was to get them used to the system.
 
Landreneau said the offensive play of Kaylee Lopez and Jil Poullard stood out. Both were very consistent throughout the fall, they were able to hit for both power and average.
 
The Cowgirls' pitching staff is young but matured as the fall progressed. The biggest key for the pitching staff was the ability to pound the strike zone and they were able to get out of innings quicker as the fall went on.
 
Shaelyn Sanders and Amanda Allen both had a good fall.  Olivia Johnson's last two appearances were better as she was able to command the zone.
 
Ashly Vallejo, the most veteran pitcher in the fall due to Whitney Tate being sidelined, commanded both sides of the plate well.
 
"We definitely saw the pitching staff mature as the fall went on. We are young as far as eligibility is concerned but we have some mature pitchers. I'm looking forward to seeing how they return from the holiday break."
 
On defense, the Cowgirls showed they have the potential to be good, but a few times were careless with the ball. Consistent play will be what Landreneau will be looking for from his defense come the spring.
 
"The number one thing is can we get consistent defensive play. Offensively we were able to play fast. The biggest thing is will we be able to carry that kind of intensity from week to week."
 
The Cowgirls will report back to campus on Jan. 9 following the Christmas Holiday break to begin preparing for the spring season. The Cowgirls will open their 2022 season on Feb. 11 at its own Cowgirl Classic.