LAFAYETTE—McNeese softball split a doubleheader Thursday night at the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational against No. 21 Ole Miss, winning the first game 12-11 before dropping the nightcap 8-3.  McNeese improves to 5-2 on the season heading into the Carl Vincent Insurance Invitational that begins Friday.
In the opening game, McNeese took an early 10-1 lead after scoring seven runs in their first at bat on five hits on RBI singles by Maddie Taylor, Onna Pruitt, Delaney Dunham and Cassidy Chance.  A walk by Alexis Dibbley also scored a run in the inning.  McNeese added three more runs in the second inning, all on solo homeruns by Rylee Cloud, Corine Poncho, and Jada Muñoz. Ole Miss got on the board in the bottom of the first inning with a single run.
 
McNeese was held scoreless for the next four innings while the Rebels scored four runs in the fifth and one in the six to cut the lead to 10-8.
 
The Cowgirls extended its lead to 12-8 in the top of seventh of RBI singles from NyJah Fontenot and Corine Poncho.  The Lady Rebels made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh by scoring three runs on one hit to pull to within one run (12-11) with two outs.  Ole Miss got the tying run on following a single by Mckenzie Pickens before Kynlei Chapman got Persey Llamas to ground out to short to end the game.
 
McNeese collected 14 hits in the opening game with Taylor picking up three hits. Taylor was also the winning pitcher, her first of the season.  Chapman was credited with the save, her second of the season.
 
Ole Miss took an early 4-0 with one run in the second inning and three runs in the third inning.
McNeese scored a run in the third inning when Nyjah Fontenot drew a walk and went to third on two wild pitches before scoring on a ground out by Cloud.
 
McNeese cut the lead in half  (4-2) with a run in the fourth on a RBI single by Malayna Daigle that scored Maddie Weeks.
 
The Rebels scored two more runs in the fifth on three straight singles and a Cowgirl error to extend their lead to 6-2.
 
McNeese added a run in the fifth when Adriana Mireles scored on a fielder's choice but two more runs by Ole Miss in the sixth extended the Rebel lead to 8-3.
 
The Cowgirls will return to Cowgirl Diamond Friday to host the Carl Vincent State Farm Insurance Invitational that runs through Sunday.  McNeese will face Austin Peay at 4 p.m. and Illinois Chicago at 6:30 p.m.  Austin Peay will face Lamar in the first game of the tournament at 11 a.m. followed by Lamar taking on Illinois- Chicago at 1:30 p.m.