McNeese Softball defeats SFA, falls to Tech on final day of Texas Tech Inv.

Staff Reports

The Contraband

Senior Jamie Allred pitched a gem in Saturday’s 8-1 win over Stephen F. Austin in the first game of the day at the Texas Tech Invitational. McNeese dropped their second game against Texas Tech with an 11-6 loss to close out tournament play. With the split, McNeese goes to 13-5 on the season.

Allred had a perfect game going until the fifth inning when the Ladyjacks picked up their first hit of the game and scored their only run of the game. Allred (5-1) ended the game with three strike outs, one walk and gave up five hits.

McNeese opened the game against SFA with a 3-0 lead after two innings. Tori Yanitor’s RBI double in the first inning scored Morgan Catron for a 1-0 Cowgirl lead. An RBI sacrifice fly by Aubrey Tuberville in the second inning accounted for the second McNeese run. Freshman Justyce McClain continued her hot hitting with a RBI single in the third that scored Taylor Goree for the third Cowgirl run.

All-American Erika Piancastelli extended the McNeese lead to 5-0 with a two RBI home run in the fifth after Marisa Taunton doubled down the right field line. The long ball is Piancastelli’s sixth of the season.

After SFA scored their run in the fifth, McNeese responded with a three run sixth inning to take an 8-1 lead. Emily Vincent led the inning off with a solo home run over the right field fence for a 6-1 lead. After two SFA errors and a ground out, McClain singled to right, bringing home Taylor Goree and Hailey Drew.

McNeese ended the game with 12 hits including four extra base hits coming off doubles by Taunton and Yanitor and homeruns by Piancastelli and Vincent.

Just like in Friday’s game, Texas Tech took the early lead against McNeese by scoring two runs in the first inning on a two run home run by Kierra Miles. The Red Raiders blew the game open with a nine run third inning to extend their lead to 11-0.

McNeese got on the board with three runs in the fourth on RBI’s by Taylor Edwards, McClain and Taunton to cut the lead to 11-3. The Cowgirls put up three more runs in the fifth to trail 11-6. A two RBI triple by Taylor Goree brought Vincent and Yanitor home for the Cowgirl runs.

The Cowgirls ended the game with seven hits and were led by Goree who had two including a triple. McNeese used three pitchers in the game with the loss going to Jolie Trahan (1-2). Trahan gave up six earned runs on six hits and walked two.

McNeese will head home after being on the road for their first 16 games to host the University of Houston next Wednesday, March 9 in their home opener. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.