HOUSTON, Texas—Corrine Poncho's sacrifice fly to right field scored Reese Reyna from third in the 13^th inning proved to be the game winning run Wednesday night in a McNeese softball 6-5 win over Houston.
 
Reyna who has struggled to so far this season, led the inning off with a double to right center then stole third.  Following a Crislyne Moreno strikeout, Poncho brought Reyna home with the sacrifice fly.
 
McNeese (11-4) has now won its last six games with the win.  Houston falls to 12-5 with the loss.
 
The Cowgirls took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning from a leadoff solo homerun by Moreno, her first of the season then added two more runs in the third on a Poncho's eighth homerun this season and a RBI double by Emily Phillips for a 3-0 lead in the third inning.
 
Houston tied the game with three runs in the fourth on two hits and a Cowgirl error.  On inning later, the Cougars took a 4-3 lead with a leadoff homerun by Mandy Esman.
 
With their backs against the wall, the Cowgirls came through with a run in the top of the seventh when pinch hitter Jada Muñoz led off with a double to left center.  Muñoz went to third on a sac bunt by Moreno before scoring on a RBI sacrifice fly by Poncho to tie the game at four and sending the game into extra innings.
 
The next three innings went scoreless even though both teams had their chances to push runs across the plate.
 
McNeese broke the 4-4 tie in the 11^th inning when Reyna singled in pinch runner Brilee Ford from third for the 5-4 lead.  The lead didn't last long as Houston would score a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game for the third time.
 
Cowgirl reliever Ryann Schexnayder was outstanding in the circle, especially in the bottom of the 12^th when she got Houston's cleanup hitter Turiya Coleman to pop out to third baseman Rylee Bouvier in foul territory for the third out.
 
Both teams combined for 25 hits in the game and 22 base runners stranded.  McNeese collected 15 hits in the game with Moreno going 4 for 5 with two doubles and one home run.  Phillips, Bouvier, and Reyna all had two hits apiece.
    
Schexnayder remained undefeated at 4-0 on the season with the win in relief of starter Shaelyn Sanders.  Schexnayder allowed one run on six hits in 6 2/3 innings with one strikeout and two walks.  Lindsay Davis picked up her second save of the season by getting the final two outs of the game including a strikeout to end the game with the tying run on second base.
 
McNeese will travel to Baton Rouge this weekend to take part in the LSU Purple & Gold Challenge beginning Friday.
 

RECAP
T1- Moreno hit a leadoff solo homerun, her first of the season for the early 1-0 lead
T3- McNeese scores two more runs on a solo homerun by Poncho, her eighth of the season and a RBI double by Emily Phillips
B4- Houston tied the game at three apiece on two hits and one Cowgirl error
T5- McNeese left the go-ahead runners stranded on base when Moreno led the inning off with a double left center and Samantha Mundine reached on a fielder's choice.  The Cowgirls couldn't push a run across after Dibbley popped out to second base and Phillips struck out to end the threat
B5: Houston took its first lead of the game off a leadoff homerun by Mandy Esman, her second of the season
T7: Pinch hitter Jada Muñoz led the inning off with a double to left center, went to third on a sac bunt by Moreno then tied the game at four all on a sac fly by Poncho
T10: McNeese stranded two runners in the inning with on out after Moreno led off with a double to left center.  Moreno advanced to second on a ground out by Poncho then went to third on a fielder's choice by Mundine with two outs.  A Dibbley strikeout and a line out to right field by Phillips stranded the runners.
T11: Reyna singled to right to score pinch runner Brilee Ford to give McNeese a 5-4 lead. Houston tied the game up again with a run and had the winning run on second but a line out to Reyna at short ended the inning.
B12: Houston loaded the bases with two outs, but Schexnayder got Turiya Coleman to pop out to Bouvier in foul territory for the third out.
T13: Reyna leads the inning off with a double and steals third then scores on a sac fly by Poncho for the 6-5 lead
 
 
McNEESE NOTES
• First extra inning game of the season for the Cowgirls
• McNeese collected 15 hits
• Moreno led McNeese at the plate (4 for 5) with two doubles and a homerun
• Phillips, Bouvier, and Reyna all picked up two hits apiece
• Moreno hit her first homerun of the season to give McNeese the early lead in the first inning
• Poncho hit her eighth homerun of the season with a solo shot to centerfield
• Phillips hit her fifth double this season  
• Schexnayder remained undefeated at 4-0 on the season with the win in relief allowing only one run in 6 2/3 innings
• Lindsay Davis picked up her second save of the season after facing two batters with the tying run on second before picking up a strikeout to end the game.