LAKE CHARLES, La. – McNeese State took a pair of
softball games from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, winning both
games 6-5, including a nine-inning affair in the first game.
The Islanders
went up 2-0 in the first game when Margo Hurdt and Kim Connelly hit
back-to-back doubles in the second inning. Andrea Gonzalez followed with an RBI
single, driving in Hurdt, followed by a run scoring single by
Lauren Peters.
A&M-Corpus Christi would tack on another run in the third on a
sacrifice fly by Connelly, driving in Larissa Martin, who was hit
by a pitch to lead off the inning.
McNeese State
cut into the Islanders' lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of
the fifth thanks to a two-run homer by Molly Guidry, plating
Michelle LaVoie, who reached on a two-out single.
Megan Beard
tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out homer to
force extra innings.
The Islanders
(13-18, 6-11) broke the 3-3 tie with a pair of runs in the top of
the ninth. Stephanie
Estrada reached on a two-out single before Margo Hurdt hit a
two-run blast, giving the Islanders a 5-3 advantage. Connelly kept the inning alive with a
double before Gonzalez walked, but Candace Duhon got Andrea
Simancas to fly out to left field to end the inning.
A&M-Corpus
Christi's lead didn't last long as Jenny Clay led off the bottom of
the ninth with a home run followed by a double bye Beard and a
triple by LaVoie. Rachel
King ended the game with a two-out, walk-off single, plating
LaVoie.
In the second
game, the Islanders took a 1-0 lead after the first inning when
Lauren Sanders led off the game with a single, but a McNeese State
error allowed her to score.
McNeese State
answered with five runs in the bottom of the third off seven hits
that included two doubles and five singles. The Cowgirls eventually took a 6-1
lead with a single run in the fifth before the Islanders answered
with three runs in the sixth.
Sanders led off
the inning with her second single of the game followed by an
Estrada double, moving her to third. Connelly made her only hit of the game
count as she singled, driving in both Sanders and Estrada. Gonzalez followed with an RBI
double for her only hit of the game.
Peters led off
the top of the seventh with a solo shot bringing the Islanders
within one, but stranded two runners in the final frame.
"We haven't
learned to win yet. We did
a good job of coming back, especially in the second game when we
gave up five runs but we just haven't gotten over the hump
yet. This is a big series
for us and hopefully we can win the final game tomorrow," head
coach Jake Schumann said.
