SAN ANTONIO, Texas—McNeese softball opened Southland Conference play by clinching the series at Incarnate Word Friday night with a doubleheader win, defeating the Cardinals 9-0 in five innings in the series opener and closed Friday's action with a 5-1 win to improve to 18-9 overall and 2-0 in the SLC.  The losses drops UIW to 9-12-1 overall and 1-4 in the SLC.
 
McNeese led 6-0 lead two innings and 1-0 after the first inning when Chloe Gomez led the game off with a single to center field and later scored on a double to center field by Rylie Bouvier.
 
The Cowgirls blew the game open with five runs on four hits in the second innings including back-to-back triples by Gomez and Reese Reyna followed by Bouvier's first home run of the season, a two run homer that put the Cowgirls up 6-0.
 
Two innings later, McNeese added three more runs on three hits with two outs to extend the lead to 9-0.  Emily Phillips' double to right center scored pinch runners Erin Ardoin and Rylee Eyster.  Phillips scored the final Cowgirl run of the game on a Mariana Torres single.
 
Whitney Tate tossed her second one-hitter of the season and fourth of her career in the complete game shutout win to improve to 8-1 on the season.
 
In the nightcap, McNeese once again took an early lead by scoring a single run in the second inning Alayis Seneca reached on an error and scored on a double by Torres for the 1-0 lead.
 
The Cowgirls added two more runs in the fourth inning when Seneca scored on a bases loaded walk by Ardoin for the first run of the inning. Reyna put the Cowgirls up 3-0 following her sacrifice fly that scored Torres.
 
UIW avoided the shutout with a run in the bottom half of the fifth on a ground out by Dariane Cram that scored pinch runner Dominque Guerra.
 
McNeese ended its scoring with two more runs in the seventh inning to seal the win.
 
With the win Ashley Vallejo picks up her 10^th straight conference win dating back to last season where she was 9-0 in conference play.  Vallejo (5-7) also struck out a career high 13 and allowed only two hits.
 
The series will conclude with a single game at Noon Saturday that will broadcast on ESPN+.
 
McNEESE NOTES
• Opened SLC play by clinching the series with the doubleheader win
• Picked up a run-rule 9-0 (5 inn.) win in game one and a 5-1 win in game 2
• Picked up a total of 22 hits on the day including eight extra base hits (five doubles, two triples, one home run)
• Had a combined 14 RBI in the DH
• Alayis Seneca collected five hits on the day (5 for 6) with a double, scored three runs
• Mariana Torres collected four hits on the day (4 for 6) with a double, scored two runs
• Rylie Bouvier hit her first home run as a Cowgirls in the first game
• Bouvier and Chloe Gomez led McNeese with three RBI apiece on the day
• Whitney Tate improved to 8-1 on the year with the game one win. Tate tossed her second one-hitter of the season and the fourth of her career
• Ashley Vallejo picked up the win in game two to win her 10^th straight conference game dating back to last season where she was 9-0 in league play
• Vallejo struck out a career high 13 in the second game win.