LAKE CHARLES—McNeese softball picked up a 3-1, 2-1 (9 inning) doubleheader win over Louisiana-Monroe Friday night that included an ejection late in the nightcap following a controversial call.  The wins snapped the Cowgirl' six-game losing streak.
 
With the doubleheader win, McNeese improves to 14-10 overall while UL-Monroe falls to 16-8 on the year.  The series will conclude with a 1 p.m. game Saturday.
 
With the game tied at one apiece in the ninth inning, ULM had runners on first and second with one out.  Andie Edwards grounded out to shortstop Reese Reyna who tossed to second baseman Mariana Torres.  Torres made the play for the second, out but was knocked down by Carys Platt who slid into second all the while Lourdes Bacon came home for what was thought to be the go ahead run.  After discussion by the umpires, the run was taken off the board and due to interference by Platt sliding into Torres, resulted in the third out, leaving the score tied at one apiece and an ULM ejection.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Crislyne Moreno drew a walk to lead off the bottom half of the inning.  Samantha Mundine then reached on a fielder's choice as Moreno moved into scoring position on the play.  Both players moved up a base on a wild pitch before Corine Poncho's sacrifice fly to left scored Moreno for the game winning run.
 
McNeese scored its first run of the game in the second inning when Jada Muñoz drew a leadoff walk, went to second on a ULM error then moved to third sacrifice bunt by Torres before scoring on a wild pitch.
 
ULM scored its run in the top of the second inning on a RBI double by Jacelyn Buck that scored Kassidy Giddens. 
 
ULM's pitcher Maddie Nichols, who suffered the loss had a no-hitter through five innings before Reese Reyna picked up the Cowgirls first hit of the game with a single to left.  McNeese would pick up two more hits in the game, one from Mundine and the other from Moreno.
 
Shaelyn Sanders picked up her second win of the day in relief of Dibbley who tossed 6.0 inning.  Sanders (6-5) threw the final three shutout innings with three strikeouts.
 
In the opening game, McNeese scored single runs in the first and second innings on a Mundine RBI single and a RBI sacrifice by Bella Perez for a 2-0 lead.  ULM scored its run in the fourth and the Cowgirls scored and insurance run in the fifth on a Dibbley solo home run, her second of the year.
 
Sanders picked up the win in relief of starter Lindsay Davis.  Sanders went 5 1/3 innings, allowed one run on five hits and struck out four.  Davis gave up two hits, four walks with one strikeout in 1 2/3 innings.
 
Dibbley led McNeese at the plate with two of the four Cowgirl hits, going 2 for 4 with one RBI and scored one run.