LAKE CHARLES—McNeese softball dropped its season opener 5-2 to California Thursday night in a game that consisted of five homeruns on the night.
 
Cal (1-0) took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on one solo homerun and took advantage of a Cowgirl error to score its second run of the game.
 
Mika Lee, the Bears' second batter of the game sent the first pitch she saw over the centerfield fence for the early 1-0 lead. 
 
Two batters later, Alexis Bishop reached base on a walk then later scored on a Cowgirl error for a 2-0 lead.
 
McNeese (0-1) responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back home runs by Corine Poncho and Emily Phillips to even the game at two apiece.
 
Cal added single runs in the third and fourth innings to increase its lead to 4-2, then added an insurance run in the sixth for a 5-2 lead.
 
The Cowgirls had their chances to either tie the game or take the lead in both the sixth and seventh innings.
 
Rylie Bouvier and Poncho led the bottom of the sixth off with walks but couldn't get the timely hit  as Phillips went down swinging, Crislyne Moreno popped out to second base and Brooke Otto flew out the center to strand the tying runs.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, McNeese once again put the tying runs on base when Mariana Torres led the inning off with a single down the right field line.  After a fly out by Delaney Dunham, pinch hitter Jada Muñoz drew a walk to put runners on first and second and the tying run coming to the plate which was Reese Reyna.  Reyna went down swinging for the second out and pinch hitter Chloe Gomez also went down swinging to end the game.
 
Cal picked up nine hits off pitcher Shaelyn Sanders (0-1) who took the loss and reliever Lindsay Davis.  Sanders allowed four runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings while Davis allowed one run on four hits in 3 1/3 innings.
 
McNeese picked up four hits on the night and faced three Cal pitchers.  Anna Reimers (1-0) picked up the win after giving up the only two Cowgirl runs while Randi Roelling picked up the save in 2 2/3 innings of work.
 
The Cowgirls will return to the diamond tomorrow (Friday) night to host New Mexico on the first day of its Cowgirl Classic.  First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
 
Tennessee State and Tarleton State will kick off the classic at 11 a.m.
 
 
COWGIRL CLASSIC (Feb. 9-11)
 
FRIDAY, FEB. 9
11 a.m.                        Tennessee State vs. Tarleton State
1:30 p.m.         Tennessee State vs. New Mexico
4 p.m.              Tarleton State vs. Lamar
6:30 p.m.         New Mexico vs. McNeese
 
 
SATURDAY, FEB. 10
11 a.m.                        Lamar vs. Tarleton State
1:30 p.m.         Tennessee State vs. Lamar
4 p.m.              Tarleton State vs. McNeese
6:30 p.m.         Tennessee State vs. McNeese
 
SUNDAY, FEB. 11
11 a.m.                        Lamar vs. Tennessee State
1:30 p.m.         Tarleton State vs. McNeese