LAKE CHARLES—McNeese softball posted a 1-1 record on Day 2 of the Cowgirl Challenge with a 14-0 (5 inn.) run-rule win Saturday afternoon over Central Arkansas before falling 3-0 to No. 1 ranked Oklahoma in the final game of the day.
For the second straight day, a record setting crowd (1,559) saw the Cowgirls (5-4) battle the Sooner until the end.
McNeese scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning off seven hits against UCA and never looked back. The Cowgirls tacked on two more runs in the second and three each in the third and fourth innings for the win.
The Cowgirls accumulated a season high 13 hits in the win with pinch hitter
Crislyne Moreno lead the way with a 3 for 3 plate appearance with two doubles and four RBI.
Samantha Mundine,
Reese Reyna, and
Brilee Ford all picked up extra base hits in the game with Mundine and Reyna picking up doubles and Ford with a triple.
Shaelyn Sanders (2-2) was perfect through the first three innings, retiring all nine batters she faced. Sanders allowed her only two hits of the game in the fourth inning.
UCA threatened to score in the fourth inning when the Bears loaded the bases but an unassisted double play by
Mariana Torres squandered the threat.
Samantha Dibbley finished off the game in the circle in relief of Sanders in the fifth. Dibbley retired the first two batters she faced before giving up a walk. She got pinch hitter Renee Christian to ground out to second to end the game.
In the nightcap, Oklahoma (8-0) scored two quick runs in the first inning off Cowgirl starter
Lindsay Davis (1-2) then added another run in the sixth inning.
A Riley Ludlam double scored Alyssa Broto for a 1-0 lead. Broto reached base on a tripled to right field. Ludlam came home on a single by Tiare Jennings for a 2-0 lead.
The first two McNeese batters reached base in the second inning to represent the tying runs, but Oklahoma got
Mariana Torres to ground into a double play for the first two outs. With Mundine advancing to third on the double play,
Rylee Eyster drew a walk to put runners on the corners. The Cowgirls failed to score after a ground out ended the inning.
Sanders, who relieved Davis with two outs in the first inning held the Sooners in check for the most part. She allowed one run, a solo home run in the sixth inning, four hits with three strikeouts and got out of a two out bases loaded jam in the fifth inning by striking out Kinzie Hansen.
The Cowgirls managed four hits, all singles off four Sooner pitchers. Moreno,
Corine Poncho, Mundine and
Jada Muñoz all picked up hits in the game.
The final day of the Cowgirl Challenge will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday with No. 1 Oklahoma facing Central Arkansas. McNeese and Lamar will the final game of the tournament at 1:30 p.m.
COWGIRL CHALLENGE
SUNDAY, FEB. 18
11 a.m. Central Arkansas vs.
Oklahoma
1:30 p.m. Lamar vs.
McNeese