COMMERCE, Texas—Corine Poncho and Mariana Torres provided the hits and runs McNeese softball needed Friday in its 2-0 Southland Conference series opening game win over Texas A&M-Commerce.  McNeese clinched the series win with a 14-2 run-rule win in Friday's nightcap.
 
The wins lift the Cowgirls' record to 28-15 overall and 13-1 in the SLC.  TAMUC falls to 7-38 overall and 0-17 in the league.  The series will conclude with a single game Saturday at 12 p.m.
 
Poncho accounted for both RBI's while Torres scored both runs.  Poncho broke a scoreless game in the fifth with a RBI double that scored Torres for the first Cowgirl run.
 
Poncho came through again in the seventh inning with a two out single to left to scored Torres again for the 2-0 lead.
 
In the nightcap, McNeese jumped on the Lions early by scoring nine runs on four hits and sent 14 batters to the plate in their first at bat of the game.  Seven of nine Cowgirls scored at least one run in the inning while the Lions used three pitchers in the inning.  
 
Of the four Cowgirl hits, three were extra base hits including a  two RBI double by Crislyne Moreno, a three-run homerun by Bella Perez, her first collegiate homerun, and a two-run homerun by Poncho, her 14^th of the season .
 
Commerce avoided the shutout by plating a run in the bottom of the first inning on a RBI double by Diamond Sefe.  The Lions added another run in the second inning on a RBI ground out by Isabella Arzola.
 
McNeese extended its lead to 14-2 in the fifth inning with five runs on two hits and took advantage of two Lion errors.
 
Rylee Eyster led things off by reaching base on a fielding error then came home to score on a triple to left field by Rylie Bouvier.  Another Lion error allowed Alexis Dibbley to move all the way to second base, allowing Bouvier to score.  Dibbley advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throw to second attempting to get Moreno stealing. The final two Cowgirl runs came on a two RBI single up the middle by Reese Reyna.
 
On the day, McNeese outscored TAMUC 16-2 with six doubles, two homeruns, one triple, 13 RBI, and eight walks.  Poncho and Torres led the Cowgirls at the plate with three hits apiece.  Poncho ended her day with one homerun, one double and four RBI.  Perez accounted for three RBI including her first career homerun.
 
In the circle, Shaelyn Sanders improved to 13-7 overall with the complete shutout win in the opening game.  Sanders allowed three hits, two walks, and struck out six.
 
Ryann Schexnayder picked up the win in the nightcap in relief of Dibbley who started the game and went 2.0 innings, giving up two runs on three hits.  Schexnayder tossed two shutout innings, allowing two hits to improve to 6-3 on the year.  Lindsay Davis finished the game by retiring all three batters she faced in the fifth inning.