THIBODAUX—McNeese softball secured the No. 3 seed in next week's Southland Conference Tournament with it' 10-2 run-rule win over Nicholls Saturday in the regular season finale. The Cowgirls will play the winner of the No. 7 seed and No. 6 seed at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The official tournament bracket will be released following the completion of today's games.
McNeese (30-24, 18-8 SLC) picked up a season high 14 hits with four Cowgirls picking up multiple hits in the game.
Toni Perrin lead the way with a 3-for-4 plate appearance including a RBI double in the sixth inning. Perrin also scored two runs in the game.
Cori McCrary,
Jil Poullard, and
Kaylee Lopez all had two hits apiece while
Haylee Brinlee led with three RBI.
McNeese took an early 1-0 lead when McCrary, the Cowgirls leadoff batter of the game homered to center field. Following a bunt single by Poullard and a Nicholls error that sent her to second base, Poullard scored on a double to left center field by Lopez. A double to right field by
Tiffany Steczo scored
Toni Perrin for the final run in the top half of the first.
Nicholls (12-28, 5-22 SLC) responded with a run in the bottom of the inning on a double to left field by Ashley Reavis that scored Skylar Hamilton.
The Cowgirls kept swinging the hot bats in the second inning and added three more runs on three hits including a double by Poullard and a bases clearing double by
Haylee Brinlee to extend the lead to 6-1.
Nicholls scored their second run of the game in the third inning on a fielder's choice RBI by Caitlin Garcia that scored Kelsey Miller. Miller led the inning off by reaching base on a Cowgirl error.
Senior Rebekah Dilavore extended the Cowgirl lead to 9-2 in the fifth inning with her first career home run as a Cowgirl, a three-run homer to left center field that scored pinch runner
Aaliyah Ortiz and
Toni Perrin.
A double by Perrin in the sixth inning scored
Alayis Seneca for a 10-2 lead. Seneca led off with a single to center field.
Freshman
Ashley Vallejo improved go 7-7 on the year after allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits, two strike outs, and now walks in five innings. Sophomore
Saleen Flores who relieved Vallejo in the sixth inning, faced four batters. She struck out two and allowed one hit.