LAKE CHARLES—McNeese softball picked up two more shutout wins Friday night over Nicholls with a 6-0 win in the series opener and 8-0 (6 inn.) win in the nightcap to give the Cowgirls a total of 17 on the season, one shy of tying the school record of 18 held by the 2014 team.
 
With the wins, McNeese improves to 31-12 overall and 13-1 in the SLC.  Nicholls falls to 22-19 overall and 9-8 in the SLC.  The series will conclude with a single game Saturday.  First pitch is set for 1 p.m. 
 
The 31 wins is the sixth year in head coach James Landreneau's seventh season he's led the Cowgirls to 30-plus wins.  The 2020 season is the only season the Cowgirls didn't record 30 which was the shortened Covid season.  The Cowgirls were on track to win 30 games that season as the had a 19-7 record when the season was halted.
 
McNeese combined for 19 hits including eight extra base hits on the day and home runs by Crislyne Moreno and Erin Ardoin in the first game of the doubleheader.
 
The Cowgirls jumped out to the early lead in both games taking a 4-0 lead after two innings in the first game and a 5-0 lead after the third inning in the second game. Moreno's s third home run of the season was a leadoff shot over the centerfield wall for that gave McNeese a 2-0 lead then following a Brooke Otto single and stolen base Ardoin hit her first career home run over the centerfield wall for a 4-0 lead.  McNeese added two more runs in the fourth on an Otto double down the third base line then she later scored on an Emily Phillips single.
 
Otto ended the game 3 for 3 at the plate, with a double, stolen base and scored two runs.  Moreno was 2 for 3 with a home run and a double and scored two runs.
 
In the circle, Ashley Vallejo picked up her 11^th win of the season to improve to 11-7 overall and 6-0 in league play.  Vallejo allowed only three hits, one walk, and struck out four in the complete game shutout, her fifth overall shutout and her third conference shutout.  
 
In the nightcap, it was Moreno and Ardoin who got the Cowgirl offense started.  Moreno's two RBI double in the first inning gave McNeese the early 2-0 lead then Ardoin's RBI single in the second scored Otto for a 3-0.  The Cowgirls offense kept the pressure on the Colonels defense in the third inning by scoring two more runs on a Rylie Bouvier single with the other run coming when Otto was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
 
Pinch hitter Corine Poncho did her job in the fifth inning when she singled to left field to score Bouvier for a 6-0 lead before Reese Reyna's double to left center scored the game winning runs to end the game in the sixth inning.
 
Reyna, Bouvier, and Ardoin all picked up two hits in the game to lead McNeese at the plate.
 
Whitney Tate picked up the shutout win to improve to 13-3 overall and 5-0 in the SLC.  The shutout is her seventh this season and also her third in league games.  Tate allowed four hits, struck out two and didn't allow a walk in the win.
 
MCNEESE NOTES
•- The two shutouts brings the total to 17 on the year, one shy of tying the school record held by the 2014 team
•- McNeese's pitching staff has 10 shutouts in 14 conference games
•- McNeese had a total of 19 hits on the day including eight extra base hits (six doubles, two home runs)
•- The Cowgirls pitching staff held Nicholls to one extra base hit
•- McNeese had two homeruns in the DH
•- McNeese picked up four doubles in game 2
•- Crislyne Moreno hit her third home run of the season game 1
•- Erin Ardoin hit her first career home run in game 1
• Brooke Otto was 3 for 3 with a double and stolen base in game 1
•- Nicholls was held to seven hits on the day