The McNeese State Cowgirls opened Southland Conference play with a double-header sweep of the Northwestern St. Lady Demons on Tuesday night at Cowgirl Diamond.
The Cowgirls (10-8, 2-0) edged NSU 7-6 in the opening game and took the second game 9-2 in comeback fashion.
Northwestern St. (8-6, 0-2) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning while picking up four hits off McNeese starter Kelsey McClain who lasted just one-third of an inning.
McNeese reliever Tiffany Denham held the Lady Demons' bats quiet to allow the Cowgirls to take the lead in the fifth inning. Lindsey Langner roped a two-RBI double to left field to give the Cowgirls their first lead of the contest with a 3-2 score.
Junior catcher Whitney Corbello from Moss Bluff broke the game wide open in the sixth inning with a high and deep shot over the left-center wall for a grand slam home run to seal the 6-2 win
Denham went six and two-thirds for the Cowgirls to pick up the win allowing no runs on six hits with five strikeouts.
Corbello led the McNeese batters going 2-for-3 with four RBI's and a home run while Claire Terracina added a 2-for-4 effort with a triple.
Leslie Johnson led the Lady Demons going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Brooke Boening took the loss pitching five and a third innings allowing eight earned runs on nine hits with 10 strikeouts.
The Cowgirls will look for the series sweep today when they host Northwestern St. at 4 p.m. at Cowgirl Diamond.
Cowgirls 7, Northwestern St. 6
LAKE CHARLES-Despite giving up six runs in the first two innings, the McNeese State Cowgirls battled for a 7-6 win in game one of a double-header against the Northwestern St. Lady Demons.
Samantha Roberts gave Northwestern St. a 3-0 lead in the first inning when she took a 0-2 pitch from Cowgirls' starter Meagan Bond over the right field wall for a three-run homer.
McNeese kept pace in the bottom half of the inning with RBI singles by Lindsey Langner and Molly Guidry for a 3-2 score after the opening inning of play.
Roberts wasn't done causing trouble for Bond. The Lady Demons' first baseman hit an single down the left field line for two more RBI's to give Northwestern St. a 6-2 lead after two innings of play.
The Cowgirls tied the game in the third inning scoring three runs on two hits and three Lady Demon errors.
That score remained tied until Claire Terracina drove home Marissa Koetting on a double to left for the 7-6 win.
Tiffany Denham picked up the win for McNeese pitching five and one-third innings allowing no runs on two hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Bond went an inning and two-thirds allowing six runs on five hits.
Terracina led the Cowgirls going 3-for-4 with two RBI's and a double with Langner going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Roberts finished the game going 2-for-3 with five RBI's with a home run.
NOTE: Denham faced 48 batters between the two games while picking up both wins for the Cowgirls.
Line scores
Game 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7-R H E
NSU 3 3 0 0 0 0 0-6 7 5
MSU 2 0 4 0 1 0 X-7 9 1
WP: Denham (2-2)
LP: Kylie Roos (5-4)
McNeese–Terracina (3-4, 2RBI, 2B); Langner (2-3, RBI)
NORTHWESTERN: Roberts (2-3, 5 RBI, HR); Stech (1-3, RBI).
Game 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7-R H E
NSU 2 0 0 0 0 0 0-2 10 1
MSU0 1 0 0 2 6 X-9 9 1
WP: Denham (3-2)
LP: Boening (3-1)
McNeese–Terracina (2-4, 3B); Corbello (2-3, 4 RBI)
NORTHWESTERN–Johnson (2-4, RBI); Kuhn (1-4, RBI).
Lake Charles, La. —
