LAKE CHARLES- McNeese softball advanced to the winners bracket of the Southland Conference Championship Lake Charles Bracket Play sponsored by Lake Charles Toyota Thursday with a 5-4 win over No. 7 seed Stephen F. Austin. McNeese will face No. 3 seed Nicholls at 2 p.m. Friday. No. 6 Northwestern State, who fell 7-4 to No. 3 Nicholls, will face No. 7 Stephen F. Austin at 11 a.m. Friday in an elimination game.
McNeese improves to 36-19 with the win while SFA falls to 29-25 overall.
The Cowgirls jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning off a double by
Corine Poncho.
Nyjah Fontenot was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded that allowed Jada Munoz to score for a 3-0 lead.
The Lumberjacks cut the lead to one run by scoring two runs in the second inning on a Lilly Bean single to left center. The Lumberjacks tied the game at three apiece in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly.
Rylee Cloud's two out two RBI homerun put the Cowgirls up 5-3. The homerun is Cloud's eighths of the season.
SFA responded with a solo homerun by Morgan Wright to start off the sixth inning to pull to within one run, 5-4.
The Ladyjacks loaded the bases with two outs bur McNeese's freshman pitcher Brooklyn Taylor got Kaylee Paul to ground out to second baseman
Adriana Mireles after a 14-pitch at bat. Mireles snagged the grounder and dove to touch second base for the final out of the game.
Cloud led McNeese at the plate going 2 for 4 with two RBI and scored two runs. Poncho also had two RBI in the game.
Cowgirl starter
Maddie Taylor improved to 14-4 overall and Brooklyn Taylor picked up her fifth save of the season in relief.
SCORING
B1- McNeese scored three runs on three hits including a two out double by
Corine Poncho and a run following a bases loaded hit by pitch by
Nyjah Fontenot (McN 3, SFA 0)
T2- SFA scored two runs on a single to left center by Lilly Bean (McN 3, SFA 2)
T4- SFA tied the game with a sacrifice fly (McN 3, SFA 3)
B4- McNeese regained the lead on a two out two RBI homerun by
Rylee Cloud- her 8
th of the season (McN 5, SFA 3)
T6- SFA cut the lead to one run on a solo homerun by Morgan Wright (McN 5, SFA 4)
TOURNAMENT RESULTS/SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, April 30
G1: No. 2 McNeese 5, No. 7 SFA 4
G2: No. 3 Nicholls 7, No. 6 NW State 4
FRIDAY, MAY 1
G3: 11 a.m.- No. 6 NW State vs. No. 7 SFA (Elimination Game)
G4: 2 p.m.- No. 2 McNeese vs. No. 3 Nicholls
SATURDAY, MAY 2
G5: 11 a.m.- Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 (Elimination Game)
G6: 2 p.m.- Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5
SUNDAY, MAY 3
G7: 1 p.m.- Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6 (If Necessary Game)
