HAMMOND—McNeese softball opened the 2021 Southland Conference Tournament with a 3-1 win over Sam Houston behind a stellar pitching performance from Jenna Edwards and timely hitting by the no. 3 seed Cowgirls to advance to play no. 2 seed Central Arkansas at 4 p.m. later today. All tournament games will be televised on ESPN+.
 
McNeese (31-24) used two innings, the fourth and fifth to score the runs it needed to pick up the win.
 
The Cowgirls, serving as the home team, took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when pinch runner Padyn Williams scored on a Bearkat error. McNeese added two more runs in the fifth on RBI singles by Cori McCrary and Kaylee Lopez.
 
Chloe Gomez led the bottom of the fifth off with a base hit after beating out a throw from Sam Houston's second baseman. A sac bunt by Tayler Strother moved Gomez into scoring position before a single up the middle by McCrary scored Gomez for a 2-0 lead. McCrary went to second on the throw home then scored on another sac bunt, this time by Jil Poullard for the 3-0 lead.
 
Sam Houston (19-30) avoided the shutout when Kyndal Kutack's RBI double to left center scored Brooklyn Devine for the only Bearkat run of the game.
 
Edwards improved to 8-2 on the season with the complete game. She gave up four hits, struck out five and walked only one batter, that walk came in the sixth inning.
 
McCrary led the Cowgirls at the plate, going 2 for 4 with one RBI and scored a run. Lopez, Toni Perrin, and Gomez all picked up one hit apiece.