Cowgirls start home stand with No. 15 LSU
Special to the American Press
LAKE CHARLES — McNeese State softball will begin a four-game home stand beginning today with a game against No. 15 LSU.
The game will be televised on Cox Sports (check local listings).
The home stand will continue with a three-game Southland Conference series against Abilene Christian beginning Friday.
It will be the second meeting between the two teams this season with the Tigers taking the first game 8-0 (6 inn.) in the opening game of the season for both teams. LSU leads the all-time series 34-3. The last McNeese win over LSU was on April 9, 2014, when the Cowgirls picked up a 2-1 win over the Tigers in Baton Rouge.
McNeese (19-21) is coming off a 2-1 Southland Conference series loss at Southeastern La. over the weekend where the Cowgirls dropped Friday’s doubleheader 3-2 in both contests. The Cowgirls ended the weekend on a positive note by taking the series finale by a 3-1 score.
Kaylee Lopez currently leads the Cowgirls with a .310 batting average with 26 hits, seven doubles and 11 RBI. Cori McCrary leads the team with 36 hits, seven home runs, 10 doubles, 26 runs scored, and is third on the team with a .298 batting average.
In the circle, Jenna Edwards (5-1) leads the staff with a 2.16 ERA and has 45 strike outs to her credit.
Whitney Tate (6-7) leads the pitching staff with six victories, 83.1 innings pitched, has 36 strike outs with a 3.78 ERA. Ashley Vallejo (3-6) has a 4.18 ERA with a team high 51 strike outs, and Saleen Flores (5-7) has a 6.11 ERA with 28 strike outs.
LSU (24-13) is coming off a 2-1 SEC series win at No. 19 Missouri over the weekend. Akiya Thymes leads the Tigers with a .600 batting average. Aliyah Andrews leads the team in hits (46), runs scored (32), triples
(3), and stolen bases
(22). Taylor Pleasant leads LSU with eight home runs and seven doubles while Shelbi Sunseri leads the team with 23 walks.
Ali Kilponen leads the LSU pitchers with a 10-4 record, a 1.55 ERA and 80 strikeouts.