CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas— McNeese softball split its Southland Conference doubleheader against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Friday, winning the opener 1-0 in eight innings before dropping the nightcap 2-1.  The series will conclude with the rubber game set for 12 p.m. Saturday with the game being streamed on ESPN+.
 
McNeese enters Saturday's contest with a 34-17 overall record and 18-2 conference record.  The Islanders are now 221-17 overall and 9-11 in the SLC.
 
Eyster, Gomez, and Otto all led the Cowgirls on the day with two hits apiece.  Shaelyn Sanders picked up the win in relief in game one but took the loss in game two, suffering her first conference loss of the season, falling to 17-8 overall and 10-1 in league play.
 
The Cowgirls struggled at the plate, picking up a total of 11 hits on the day while allowing 13 hits to the Islanders.
 
Rylee Eyster's two out game winning RBI single to left field in the top of the eighth inning scored Mariana Torres from second in what proved to be the game winning run in a pitcher's duel in the opening game. Torres doubled to left center with two outs for the only extra base hit of the game.  
 
The Islanders threatened to score in the bottom of the seventh when pinch hitter Nicolette Ramirez led the inning off with a single up the middle.  After a Cowgirl pitching change that replace Ryann Schexnayder with Shaelyn Sanders, freshman catcher Bella Perez threw pinch runner Sidney Campion out at second for the first out.  The Islanders put the winning run on base a second time in the inning with a single to left by pinch hitter Mimi Thornton but the Cowgirls turned their 29^th double play of the season to send the game into extra innings.
 
Cowgirl starting pitcher Lindsay Davis got off to a rough outing in the nightcap.  Davis walked three, allowed one hit and one run in 2/3 innings before being replaced by Sanders.
 
The Cowgirls tied the game at one apiece in the fourth inning on a RBI single by Chloe Gomez that would bring Alexis Dibbley across the plate.
 
The Islanders responded in the bottom of the inning by taking advantage of a Cowgirl to take the 2-1 lead.
 
Islander starter and the 2023 SLC "Pitcher of the Year Primrose Aholelei retired the next six Cowgirls in order until Reyna led the seventh off with a single as the game got interesting.  Reyna was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice for the first out.  Brooke Otto singled when the ball hit the knob of her bat and stayed in play to put runners on first and second. 
 
Following a pinch hit fly out by Crislyne Moreno for the second out, Gomez patiently took a walk to load the bases bringing Samantha Mundine to the plate.  Mundine wasn't able to come through with a hit as she grounded out to second for the final out of the game.