HAMMOND— McNeese softball was eliminated from the Southland Conference Tournament Thursday with an 8-7 loss to Incarnate Word in the semifinals but the Cowgirls didn't go down without a fight as they finish the season with a 40-20 record.
 
The Cowgirls avoided elimination earlier in the day with a come from behind 4-3 win over Nicholls.
 
The loss to UIW is the second tournament loss to the Cardinals who defeated the Cowgirls 3-2 in the Cowgirls' opening game of the tournament.  Senior pitcher Shaelyn Sanders and freshman Alexis Dibbley were named to the all-tournament team.
 
 
vs. Nicholls
Nicholls took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on two hits behind an Alexa Poche' triple that scored Abby Anderson who led the game off with a single through the left side.  Poche' later scored on a ground out by Katy Sanders.
 
Alexis Dibbley led off the second inning with a solo homerun to cut the Nicholls lead in half.
 
Corine Poncho and Dibbley both singled with one out in the fourth then moved up one base on a ground out by Rylie Bouvier.  Both runners were stranded following a long fly ball to left field by Bella Perez.
 
Nicholls added a run in the fourth on a two out bases loaded walk to pinch hitter McKenzie Champagne that brought Gabby Higbee home.
 
A pinch hit double by Kelsey Gaspard in the fifth inning scored Mariana Torres to bring McNeese to within one run (3-2).  The Cowgirls tied the game at three apiece when Brilee Ford scored ground out.
 
Ford and pinch hitter Chloe Gomez drew two out walks in the seventh inning, but Samantha Mundine grounded out to second to end the threat.
 
Sanders retired Nicholls in order to send the game into extra innings.
 
A two out triple by Perez in the eighth scored Dibbley for what turned out to be the game winning run.  Dibbley reached on a single to left center with one out.
 
Sanders repeated what she did to the Colonels in the seventh and retired the Colonels in order in the eighth inning to end the game.
 
 
• With the win, Sanders picked up her 20^th win of the season to improve to 20-10
• Sanders also picked up her 150^th strikeout of the season during the game and ended the game with five strikeouts
• Dibbley led the Cowgirls with three hits, going 3 for 4
 
 
vs. UIW
 
UIW took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a Jillan Guiterrez triple that scored Avalon Sanchez.  Guiterrez came home to score on a Cowgirl error.  
 
The Cardinals added three more runs on four hits along with two McNeese errors in the second to take a 5-0 lead.
 
UIW added another run in the third to extend its lead to 6-0
 
McNeese avoided the shutout in the third inning when Mundine drew a two out walk and scored on a Poncho triple to right center.  Dibbley singled through the left side to score Poncho
 
Torres cut the UIW lead in half (6-3) in the fourth inning on a solo homerun over the left field wall.  It was Torres' second homerun this season.
 
McNeese had the tying run at the plate in the fifth inning with two outs and runners on first and second after a walk by Poncho and a single to right by Dibbley. Emily Phillips grounded out to third to end the inning.
 
UIW scored two more runs in the seventh to extend its lead to 8-3.
 
The Cowgirls made one last attempt to come back in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded and one out.  A sac fly by Crislyne Moreno then a bases clearing double by Perez pulled the Cowgirls to within two (8-6) with Reyna coming to the plate to represent the tying run. Reyna singled to bring in a run to pull the Cowgirls to within one run (8-7) but a fly out by Torres to right field ended the game.
 
•- Dibbley led the Cowgirls at the plate with three of the five hits with one double and a RBI
• Ryann Schexnayder took the loss to fall to 9-3 on the season

All-Tournament Team
Lexi Johnson, 1B, Southeastern (MVP)
Bailey Krolczyk, C, Southeastern
Cera Blanchard, RHP, Southeastern
Maddie Watson, 2B, Southeastern
Ka'Lyn Watson, OF, Southeastern
Maddison Guillen, 3B, UIW
Avalon Sanchez, DP, UIW
Victoria Altamirano, 1B, UIW
Samantha Portillo, RHP, UIW
Alexis Dibbley, OF, McNeese
Shaelyn Sanders, RHP, McNeese
Claire Sisco, 2B, Nicholls