CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas— McNeese softball clinched its Southland Conference series against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday with a 3-1 win in the rubber game. The win lifts the Cowgirls record to 35-17 overall and 19-2 in the SLC. The loss drops the Islanders to 21-18 overall and 9-12.
Like the previous two games of the series, runs were hard to come by and the series finale wasn't any different.
McNeese took the early lead in the second inning on a RBI fielder's choice ground out by pinch hitter
Chloe Gomez for the 1-0 lead.
An RBI double to right center field by the Islanders Alina Jasso scored Sidney Campion to tie the game at one apiece. The Cowgirls defense came up big on that play as well when the relay from centerfielder
Alexis Dibbley to shortstop
Reese Reyna to catcher
Bella Perez who tagged Sydney Hoyt at the plate avoided TAMU-CC to take the lead. Sanders then got Taniece Tyson to ground out to end the inning.
The Cowgirls took advantage of the only Islander error of the game in the sixth inning that allowed two runs to cross the plate for the lead.
Rylie Bouvier led things off with a one out single to right field followed by a single down the left field line by
Bella Perez to put runners on first and second with one out. After a strikeout by Reyna,
Mariana Torres hit a grounder to the Islanders second baseman who mishandled the ball, allowing pinch runner
Brooke Otto and Perez to score to extend the Cowgirl lead to 3-1.
Sanders, who picked up her 18
th win of the season to improve to 18-9 overall retired the final six batters she faced including a strikeout to end the game. Sanders allowed only three hits, one walk, and struck out nine, the second most strikeouts in a game for Sanders this season in the complete game win.
McNeese outhit the Islanders 7-3 and was led at the plate by both
Rylee Eyster and Perez who had two hits apiece.
Aholelei Primrose fell to 15-9 on the year with the loss. Primrose allowed three runs on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Ariella Saenz relieved Primrose in the seventh inning.
