Dreams delayed: Cowgirls’ season ends with loss to LSU
BATON ROUGE — In a game that started 45 minutes after its original start time and was further interrupted mid-game with another weather delay, the Cowgirls’ season came to an end with a 10-1, six-inning loss to LSU on Sunday night at the regional round of NCAA Tournament.
The game, originally slated to start at 1:34 p.m., did not get started until 2:16 p.m. after lighting was detected within eight miles of Tiger Park.
After getting started, the Cowgirls and Tigers reached the bottom of the second when another lightning strike followed by heavy rain delayed the game until an 8:35 p.m. restart time. All in all, the delays lasted a combined 6 hours and 29 minutes.
McNeese played well in the 1.5 innings leading up to the second delay. Baylee Corbello pitched two no-hit innings and the Cowgirls were getting bats on the balls.
The Cowgirls took advantage of an advantageous position out of the break, scoring in the bottom of the second inning and taking a 1-0 lead on a double steal that scored Marisa Taunton, who reached base with a single before the break and moved to third after a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice.
The lead didn’t last long, however, as the Tigers responded in the third inning with a two-out rally that tied the game 1-1.
LSU took its first lead of the game in the fourth inning with a two-RBI double by Sydney Springfield that put the Tigers ahead 3-1.
The Tigers added five more runs in that inning thanks to seven hits in eight plate appearances, giving LSU an 8-1 lead.
LSU added two more runs in the top of the sixth and closed it out to earn the run-rule victory.
Baylee Corbello picked up the loss in her last career start pitching. She gave up five runs on six hits in 31⁄3 innings.
Carley Hoover picked up the win for LSU, pitching all six innings and giving up just one run on three hits.
The Cowgirls reached the elimination game with LSU after they defeated Fairfield 6-2 in the first elimination game late Saturday.
The Stags struck first with a 2-run home run in the top of the third inning, but McNeese responded in the bottom frame with four runs led by a three-run home run by Alexandria Saldivar.
Erika Piancastelli added two more runs with a home run in the fourth inning that extended the Cowgirls’ lead to 6-2, which turned out to be the final score after Alexandra Flores closed out the game with 3.2 solid innings.
Cowgirls’ Brenique Wright, right, comforts Rachel Smith after McNeese lost to LSU 10-1 in Sunday’s elimination game at the Baton Rouge Regional. (Rick Hickman / American Press)