AUBURN, Ala.---  After taking early leads in its games against UL-Lafayette and No. 19 Auburn at the Jane B. Memorial Saturday, McNeese softball wasn't able to hold those leads, falling 4-1 to the Cajuns and 10-6 to the Tigers. The loss drops the Cowgirls to 10-7 on the season.
 
McNeese will face Rutgers at 12:30 p.m. and No. 19 Auburn again at 5:30 p.m. Saturday before closing out tournament play with a 9 a.m. game against Rutgers on Sunday.
 
McNeese took an early 1-0 lead against the Cajuns in the second inning on a RBI by Reese Reyna.
 
The Cajuns scored three runs on three hits to take a 3-0 lead then added a single run in the fourth inning for the 4-1 lead.
 
McNeese collected five hits in the game (all singles) from Kassidy Chance, Jada Muñoz, Rylie Bouvier, Nijah Fontenot, and Onna McElroy.
 
Maddie Taylor picked up the loss to fall to 5-2 on the year.  Taylor allowed three runs on five hits, one walk and struck out two in 2 2/3 innings.
 
In the nightcap against Auburn (16-1), McNeese once again took a 1-0 lead in the first inning courtesy a solo homerun by of Muñoz, her fifth of the season.
 
The Cowgirls added a single run in the second inning on a RBI sacrifice fly by Rylee Eyster for a 2-0 lead.
 
The Tigers took the lead in the third inning with five runs on four hits and one Cowgirl error.
 
McNeese pulled to within one run (5-4) by scoring single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.  The Cowgirls and had a chance to take the lead in the sixth but left the tying run stranded at third and the go ahead run at second.
 
Auburn exploded for five more runs in the sixth to lead 10-4 before McNeese scored two runs on a two RBI triple to center field by Nijah Fontenot.
 
McNeese outhit the Tigers 12-11 and was led at the play by Nijah Fontenot who was 3 for 3 with a triple and two RBI.  Chance and Muñoz both had two hits apiece.
 
Kadence Williams fell to 1-3 on the year with the loss after allowing two runs on two hits with two walks in 2 1/3 innings.