Cowgirls sweep SLC opener

Published 8:00 pm Sunday, March 19, 2023

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — McNeese softball scored a season high 10 runs along with a season high 14 hits to complete its Southland Conference opening series sweep against Incarnate Word (9-13-1, 1-5 SLC) with a 10-0 shutout win in the final game of the series Saturday.  The shutout was the second shutout win by the Cowgirls over the Cardinals in the series.  McNeese opened the series on Friday with a 9-0 run-rule win.

McNeese (19-9, 3-0 SLC) got off to the early lead for the third game in the series by scoring two runs in the first inning on a two RBI double by Mariana Torres.

The Cowgirls extended its lead to 4-0 with two more runs in the fourth inning on a RBI single by Reese Reyna and a RBI double by Rylie Bouvier.

Reyna and Bouvier struck again in the sixth inning with RBI doubles for a 6-0 lead.

The Cowgirls weren’t done yet and they put the game out of reach with four runs in the seventh inning.

Emily Phillips started the inning off with a leadoff triple and later scored off a single by Corine Poncho.  After a two out walk by Alayis Seneca, Reyna single to left and both Poncho and Seneca scored on an error.  Reyna would score the final run of the game on a RBI by Bouvier.

Reyna, Bouvier, and Torres accounted for seven of the eight Cowgirl RBI in the game. Bouvier led McNeese with three RBI while Reyna and Torres had two apiece.  Reyna and Bouvier also led McNeese with three hits apiece.

Whitney Tate picked up her second shutout victory in the series to improve to 9-1 on the year.  Tate allowed only four hits, and one walk in 4.0 innings.  Lindsay Davis and Ryann Schexnayder also saw action in the circle.  Davis allowed one hit with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings and Schexnayder struck out one in the three batters she faced.

McNeese will travel to #12 LSU on Tuesday, March 21 for a single game beginning at 6 p.m. McNeese will return home next weekend to host Texas A&M-Commerce in a SLC series.