McNeese State capped a perfect day at the Evangeline Bank and Trust Invitational Saturday with a 4-3, nine-inning win over Alabama-Birmingham.

Gracie Devall drove in the winning run with a no-out, bases-loaded grounder that scored Chloe Gomez.

Shaelyn Sanders earned the win in her Cowgirls debut, allowing one unearned run in five innings.

“She did a great job. It isn’t easy to come out of the bullpen in cold weather,” Cowgirls head coach James Landreneau said. “She wants the ball, she’s tough.”

The Cowgirls (3-0) stayed in the game with a series of good defensive plays. Third baseman Jil Poullard threaded a squeeze play by scooping up the bunt and tagging the runner. Toni Perrin made a diving catch in center field in the eighth. In the ninth, right fielder Alayis Seneca started a relay that gunned down the UAB (0-3) leadoff hitter at third base. Devall threw out a runner trying to steal second to end the inning.

“It was a tough win. We made a lot of plays defensively and they left many runners on base,” Landreneau said. “The play by Jil, it is rare to see something that athletic. I’m proud of this team and the effort they gave to pull out a win.”

Poullard doubled and tripled to drive in a run. Perrin added an RBI on a squeeze bunt to score Gomez in the fourth inning.

The Cowgirls tied the score in the sixth when Seneca led off with a single. Pinch runner Erin Ardoin stole second and scored when the throw went into center field.

The tournament concludes today with McNeese playing North Texas at noon and Texas Southern at 2:30 p.m.

Game 1

McNeese. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Tulsa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0

Ashley Vallejo threw a complete game two-hitter to lead the Cowgirls, holding the Golden Hurricane hitless through five innings.

The Cowgirls scored two in the first inning. Seneca hit a grounder to score Kendall Talley and Kaylee Lopez drove in Poullard with a squeeze bunt.

McNeese blew the game open in the fourth inning with four runs. Perrin scored on a single by Josie Willingham. Gomez and Willingham scored on a single by Seneca and Talley stole home.

Vallejo struck out five and walked one.