By: Pam LaFosse
LAKE CHARLES – McNeese softball will begin Southland Conference play on the road this weekend at Nicholls beginning with a doubleheader on Friday starting at 11. The original time of 4 p.m. was moved up due to the threat of severe weather. The series will conclude with a single game at noon Saturday. Friday's doubleheader will be streamed on ESPN+ but all games will have live stats.
McNeese (14-12) was picked to repeat as regular season champions while Nicholls (15-12, 3-0 SLC) was picked to finish third in the preseason poll.
McNeese, who is coming off a 2-1 road loss at UL-Lafayette on Wednesday, will look to get back into the win column after having lost its last two games and eight of its last 10 games.
Crislyne Moreno continues to lead the Cowgirls with a .344 batting average and seven doubles while Corine Poncho has a team high nine home runs, 19 runs scored, 15 walks, and is tied for a team high 16 RBI. Poncho enters the series with a .320 batting average.
Samantha Mundine leads the team with 24 hits and is tied for a team high 16 RBI with Poncho. Mundine is second on the team with a .320 average.
Shaelyn Sanders (6-6) leads the pitching staff with a 2.22 ERA. 75.2 innings, and 49 strikeouts. Ryann Schexnayder (4-1) has a 2.70 ERA with 33.2 innings tossed and seven strikeouts. Lindsay Davis (2-5) has a 2.85 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 39.1 innings.
Nicholls got an early start to SLC play last weekend with a series sweep at Northwestern State with a 9-5, 5-0 doubleheader win and ended the series with a 5-0 win in the final game of the series.
