Cowgirls win, survive seventh-inning ULM rally
Published 12:33 pm Wednesday, March 30, 2022
- McNeese State’s Kendall Talley crosses the plate on a Jil Poullard double in the first inning as Louisiana-Monroe catcher Kelsey Giddens makes the catch during a nonconference game Tuesday night at the Cowgirl Diamond. Talley reached base with an RBI double. Both of Talley’s hits were doubles. She also scored twice. (Rick Hickman / American Press)
McNeese State held off a late Louisiana-Monroe rally to claim its fifth consecutive win, a 7-5 nonconference victory over the Warhawks.
The Cowgirls (17-14) are scheduled to play at LSU (22-12) at 6 p.m. today. LSU has won 17 of the last 18 meetings, including the last 10.
ULM (18-11) trailed 7-1 entering the seventh but scored four runs on a Kennedy Page bases-loaded walk, two-run single by Jacelyn Buck and a McNeese throwing error.
With runners on the corners and two outs, Sam Houston High graduate Andie Edwards laced a liner towards right field, but Cowgirls second baseman Reese Reyna made a leaping catch to end the game.
“It was kind of a wild game,” McNeese head coach James Landreneau said. “I was glad to see us come out and answer them early on the game. Whitney Tate pitched a good game and we played well defensively. Offensively we had production through the lineup and were able to keep pressure on them.”
ULM took the lead with a run in the first. Alexis Chavez singled and scored on a grounder by Gabby Davila.
McNeese answered right away with three runs. Alayis Seneca led off with a single up the middle and scored on a double down the right-field line by Kendall Talley. Jil Poullard singled to score Talley. Poullard scored on a steal of home to give McNeese a 3-1 lead.
Seneca threw a runner out at the plate from right field to end the top of the second.
The Cowgirls added a run in the fourth when Josie Willingham tripled and scored on a single by Toni Perrin. McNeese put two more on the board in the fifth. Kaylee Lopez doubled to score Talley and Gomez had a two-out RBI single to extend the lead to 6-1.
ULM loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth, but Tate escaped with a liner to first, force out at the plate and grounder to short.
McNeese added an insurance run in the sixth. Perrin reached on a fielder’s choice snd scored on a sacrifice fly by Talley.
“ULM is a good team and put us in a bind early, but our team played really well defensively,” Tate said. “It’s easy to pitch when your defense is turning double plays and has your back.”
