Daigle hits memorable HR
Published 11:16 pm Friday, February 20, 2026
McNeese rallies twice for big wins
Malayna Daigle won’t soon forget her first college home run.
Nor will Cowgirl fans.
Daigle’s first homer was not only a grand slam, but it also proved to be a game-winner Friday night against SEC foe Missouri.
The freshman came to the plate in a tied game as a pinch-hitter with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Her blast to left-center lifted the Cowgirls to a 5-3 victory, as McNeese wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, allowing just two runs.
That gave McNeese its second comeback win of the day. The Cowgirls rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth as well earlier in the day to beat Houston, 7-3.
The sweep of Power 4 teams lifted McNeese to 11-4 and came on the first day of the Cajun AC Louisiana Class at Joe Miller Park. The Cowgirls will play the same two teams starting at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The win was the Cowgirls’ fifth straight, four of those coming in their last at-bat.
“What a long, emotional day,” McNeese head coach Jame Landreneau said. “Our kids stayed in the fight. When things aren’t going their way, they don’t hit the panic button.”
Daigle didn’t.
In just her 15th trip to the plate, she proved more than up to the task.
“I was just trying to drive the ball deep enough to drive in the run,” Daigle said. “I just ran into one.”
Daigle broke a 1-1 tie with her drive that came after McNeese tied the game by playing small ball. Jada Munoz drove in the tying run by bunting the ball four feet in front of home plate, scoring Rylee Cloud.
An intentional walk to Nyjah Fontenot loaded the bases, setting the stage for Daigle.
“She has ice in her veins,” Landreneau said of Daigle. “She wants to hit in that situation.”
The game was delayed 38 minutes as the umpires figured out a rule situation involving Missouri’s pitching substitution following McNeese taking the lead. When it finally resumed, the Tigers loaded the bases with one out, and Landreneau turned to another freshman, Brookelyn Taylor.
After walking in a run, Taylor got the next two hitters for her third save of the season. Taylor also got the win in relief in the first game to improve to 3-0, working the last five innings and allowing just one run on three hits to earn the victory.
Kyneli Williams (3-3) worked the first 6⅓ innings, allowing just one earned run, to get the victory against Missouri.
Munoz had four hits in the two games to lead the Cowgirls and raised her average to .357.
Cloud homered and tripled in her final two at-bats in the fifth and sixth innings in the opener for the Cowgirls. The home run was Cloud’s fifth of the season, tying her with Munoz for the team lead.
Cloud drove in two runs, giving her 19. She was one of four McNeese players to pick up two hits.
Houston got home runs by Makenna Mitchell, a two-run shot in the first, and Maddie Hartley, who had a solo blast in the third.
