NATCHITOCHES, La. – Brittney Morse hit her Islanders-record 12th home run of the season, but No. 1 seed Northwestern State rallied from behind for a 3-1 victory over the sixth-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team to eliminate the Islanders from the 2015 Southland Conference Tournament.
The Islanders conclude the 2015 season at 20-28-1. The contest wrapped up the careers of seniors Mickayla Cochran, Hayley Galloway and Lindsey Lyles.
"They're the reason we're here, plain and simple," head coach Stephanie Hughes said of her seniors. "They've set the standard of the kids we bring in here to bring the program where it needs to be. Not only on the field, but off – all three have graduated and that's something we're extremely proud of. We told the returning girls in the next three years, we want them to be something that these three can be proud of."
Northwestern State's Kellye Kincannon hit a two-run home run in the top of the fifth to break a 1-1 tie, and Southland Pitcher of the Year Mikayla Brown and Micaela Bouvier combined to allow just one run in the contest. Brown collected the win to improve to 12-3, while Bouvier notched her first save of the year. Liz Carter was carded with the loss in relief, falling to 14-18 on the year.
The Islanders got on the board first via Morse's record-breaking longball in the bottom of the second. The sophomore led off the frame for A&M-Corpus Christi, obliterating a 1-1 offering over the wall in left center to make it a 1-0 game. In addition to being her 12th of the year, it marked her 20th in her career at the Island University, moving her into second on the school's career list.
But NSU wasted no time in knotting the game up at 1-1. Hailee Rhodes led off the inning by drawing a walk off starting pitcher Stephanie Flores, and a bunt single from Sidney Salmans put two on and nobody out. A flyball to right moved Rhodes to third and Kincannon followed with a sac fly to center to knot the score.
A&M-Corpus Christi mounted a strong two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth, with Morse, Carter and Jessica Mendez delivering three straight singles. Galloway followed, and the senior smashed a liner on the right side, but first baseman Brittney Jones snared it to end the threat.
In the fifth, NSU surged ahead. Salmans started things with a leadoff single, and a bunt moved her up to second base. Kincannon hit a towering shot to left center, and it narrowly cleared the wall and Dani Tefft's glove for a two-run homer and a 3-1 lead. From there on, Carter was able to shut down the Lady Demons, retiring the final seven batters of the game.
The Islanders looked poised for a rally in the bottom of the sixth, with Mickayla Cochran leading off with a single. Morse followed and hit a high fly ball to the warning track in left for out number one. Carter followed, and smashed a liner to left, but Natalie Landry snared it and fired to second for an inning-ending double play. In the seventh, Mendez delivered a leadoff single, but Bouvier was able to retire the next three hitters to end the game.
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