LAKE CHARLES---  McNeese softball completed its Southland Conference home opening series sweep over Northwestern State Saturday with a doubleheader 4-1 win in game one of the doubleheader before completing the sweep with a 14-1 (5 inning) series finale win.
 
McNeese improves to 17-13 overall and 4-2 in the conference while NW State falls to 3-24 overall and 0-6 in the SLC.
 
In the 4-1 win, McNeese took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on two run homerun by Reese Reyna, her fifth of her career and first homerun since her walk off homerun against Southeastern in the 2023 SLC Tournament championship game.
 
NW State didn't back down as they cut the Cowgirl lead in half in the fifth inning with a solo homerun from Aly Delafield.
 
The Cowgirls scored two insurance runs in the sixth inning on a RBI sacrifice fly by Rylie Bouvier and a Brylie Fontenot single for the 4-1 lead and a little breathing room.
 
After a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh, Emma Banks got the next three batters to fly out to end the game.
 
Kadence Williams improved to 3-4 on the season after allowing one run on two hits along with three strikeouts and didn't allow a walk.
 
In the nightcap, the Cowgirls got their bats going while Maddie Taylor was dealing in the circle.
 
McNeese batted through the lineup twice in the second inning, scored eight runs on four hits including back-to back homeruns, a grand slam by Jada Muñoz and a solo homerun by Nyjah Fontenot. 
 
In the same inning, Brylie Fontenot tripled then singled in her second at bat of the inning. Kassidy Chance and Sarah Allen picked up the other two hits in the inning.
 
McNeese added five more runs in the third to extend the lead to 13-0. For the second straight inning, the Cowgirls batted through the lineup.
 
After Chance led off with a walk, the next four Cowgirls (Samantha Mundine, Muñoz, Nyja Fontenot, Bouvier) all hit doubles.  After a putout, Brylie Fontenot joined the doubles club with a double of her own for the fifth McNeese double of the game.
 
NW State avoided the shutout with a run in the fourth, but McNeese matched that run with a run in the bottom of the inning on a Nyjah Fontenot RBI single that scored Muñoz who led off with a triple to right center.
 
While the Cowgirls were scoring runs, Maddie Taylor was quietly tossing a perfect game through 3 1/3 innings before allowing her only walk of the game to Brynn Daniel in the fourth inning.  Taylor would also surrender her only hit and run of the game to Riley Schwisow to break up the no-hitter and shutout.
 
Taylor improved to 7-5 on the year with the win.  Emma Banks pitched one inning of relief, allowing one hit , two walks, and one strikeout.
 
McNeese Notes
• McNeese picked up 24 hits on the day (8 in game 1, 16 in game 2)
• 10 of the 24 hits were extra base hits (three homeruns, two triples, five doubles)
• Reese Reyna hit her fifth career homerun in game 1
• Jada Muñoz hit her first career grand slam in game 2 and her eighth homerun this season
• Muñoz's grand slam is the second of the season for the Cowgirls
• In game two, McNeese hit four consecutive doubles and batted through the lineup twice
• Maddie Taylor had a perfect game through 3 1/3 innings before allowing a walk