LAKE CHARLES—McNeese softball bounced back from its season opening 5-2 loss to California on Thursday night with a 12-4 (6 inning) run-rule win over New Mexico Friday night on the first day of the Cowgirl Classic.
 
McNeese (1-1) pounded out 12 hits including five extra base hits with three players picking up at least two hits.
 
Emily Phillips led the Cowgirls offense, going 2 for 3 with two doubles, two RBI and scored one run.  Corine Poncho and Mariana Torres also collected two hits in the game.  Torres and Delaney Dunham ended the game with two RBI as well.
 
Sophomore Ryann Schexnayder picked up her first collegiate win in relief of freshman starter Alexis Dibbley who made her collegiate debut.
 
Schexnayder allowed one run on three hits in 3 1/3 innings and struck out two.  Dibbley allowed three runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings and struck out two batters.
 
For the second straight game, McNeese gave up the early lead in the first inning when New Mexico (1-1) took a 2-0 lead off a Chloe Yeatts two run homerun.
 
The Cowgirls responded with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the first inning to take a 5-2 lead and one they never gave up.
 
After Jada Nuñoz was retired to start the bottom half of the first inning for McNeese, the next five Cowgirls reached base.  Reese Reyna started things off with a walk followed by a Poncho single.  Phillips' first double of the game scored both Poncho and Reyna before she and Brooke Otto came home to score.  The final run of the inning came when Rylie Bouvier reached on a bunt single and later scored on a Dunham single.
 
Each team added a single run in the second inning that gave McNeese a 6-3 advantage.  Schexnayder entered the game with the bases loaded in the third and struck out Macie Andrews to end the threat.  Schexnayder ended the game retiring eight of the last 11 batters she faced and allowed only one run which came in the sixth inning.
 
McNeese closed out the game by scoring three runs in each the fifth and sixth innings for the win.
 
The Cowgirl Classic will continue Saturday at 11 a.m. with Lamar taking on Tarleton at 11 a.m. followed by Tennessee State and Lamar.  McNeese will end Saturday's action with a 4 p.m. game against Tarleton State and a 6:30 p.m. game against Tennessee State.  
 
 
COWGIRL CLASSIC
 
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