LAKE CHARLES—Qwinn Hall's pinch hit double in the sixth inning ignited a McNeese softball comeback that led to a 9-5 comeback win over Incarnate Word in the opening game of a three game Southland Conference series Friday night.

The series will conclude with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.

The win snapped Cowgirl a five-game losing streak as they improved to 21-13 overall and evened their conference record to 5-5 on the season.  UIW fell to 22-11 overall and 7-3 in the SLC.

The Cardinals took an early 1-0 lead three pitches into the game when Victoria Altamirano led the game off with a solo homerun.  UIW added a single run in the third for a 2-0 lead.

McNeese scored three runs in the bottom of the third on a RBI double by Rylee Cloud and then a two-run homerun over the centerfield wall by Maddie Taylor.
UIW scored single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth to lead 5-3 but McNeese's bats came alive in the bottom of the inning, and the Cowgirls took advantage of a few errors to score six runs.

Hall's bases loaded two RBI double to right center tied the game at five all.  Jada Munoz's sacrifice fly scored Kassidy Chance to give the Cowgirls a 6-5 lead.
A Cardinal error allowed Corine Poncho to score from third for a 7-5 lead.

Alexis Dibbley scored the final two McNeese runs on a two RBI homerun to right centerfield for a 9-5 lead.

Freshman Brookelyn Taylor retired the first three UIW batters in the top of the seventh to end the game.  Taylor picked up the win in relief to improve to 8-5 on the season.  She allowed three runs on three hits in 4.0 innings.  Kynlei Chapman started the game for the Cowgirls and tossed 3.0 innings, allowing two runs on four hits.

McNeese collected 10 hits in the game and was led with two apiece from Rylee Cloud and Maddie Taylor.

UIW used four pitchers in the game.  Jenny Robledo suffered the loss to fall to 2-2 on the season.