McNeese Softball drops 4-1 game at Houston

Staff Reports

The Contraband

McNeese softball failed to get the timely hitting and was held to six hits as the Cowgirls suffered their eighth loss of the season Wednesday night at Houston by a 4-1 score.

McNeese (26-8) left six runners stranded including two in scoring position in the third, fourth and sixth innings.

“Tonight wasn’t our best night out there,” said head coach Joanna Hardin. “We are still learning and growing as a team so we need to use tonight’s game as an opportunity to see some areas where we are lacking and need to get better.”

It didn’t take the Cougars long to get on the board. With one out in the first, Houston began their rally with a single by Kaylin Crumpton. Cowgirl starter Jolie Trahan hit Elise Lebouf to put runners on first and second before giving up a single to load the bases. A single by Savannah Heebner brought home Crumpton for a 1-0 Houston lead.

The Cowgirls left a runner stranded on third base that would have tied the score 1-1 in the third inning. Erika Piancastelli drew her 35th walk of the season then a two out bloop single by Marisa Taunton advanced Piancastelli to second. Both players advanced and extra base on an error by the right fielder. The Cowgirl threat was squandered by a Morgan Catron strikeout, leaving Piancastelli and Taunton stranded.

For the second straight inning, McNeese left the tying run stranded. In the top of the fourth, Vincent singled through the right side with two outs then stole second to move into scoring position. Nothing came of it as Shanice Hagler popped out to short for the third out.

After snags by Vincent at first base and Catron in left field to rob the Cougars of base hits, Cowgirl starter Jolie Trahan gave up a solo home run in the fourth inning to the Cougar’s next batter, Brooke Vannoy for a 2-0 lead.

Piancastelli came close to cutting the lead in half in the top of the fifth when her long fly ball to right was a few feet from going over the wall for a home run.

Houston’s Courtney Klingler launched a solo home run over the palm trees outside the left field wall to extend the lead to 3-0 in the fifth, chasing Trahan from the circle and was replaced by Jamie Allred.

The Cowgirls spoiled the shutout with a run in the sixth. Taunton led the inning off with a single up the middle for her second hit of the game. A ground out to shortstop sent Taunton to second and a long fly ball to right by Yanitor moved her to third. Taunton scored off a single up the middle by Hagler to cut the lead to 3-1.
Houston got the run back in the bottom of the inning off their third solo home run of the game and the second home run of the game by Vannoy to extend their lead to 4-1.

“This is the point in the season where we as a team must really dig deep and keep grinding everyday. Great teams do little things right everyday,” Hardin said.

McNeese will return to the diamond this weekend to host Nicholls in a big Southland Conference series. The series will begin with a single game at 6 p.m. Friday night with a doubleheader schedule for noon on Saturday.