Box Score

LAKE CHARLES, La. – The McNeese State University softball team scored in each of the first four innings as the Cowgirls completed a three-game series sweep of Nicholls State University with a 7-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Cowgirl Diamond.

McNeese State (10-15, 4-5 SLC) jumped out to a three-run lead after the first frame. The Cowgirls added a run in each of the next two innings before plating two more in the fourth to go up 7-0. The Colonels (7-14, 1-4 SLC) cracked the scoring column with two runs in the fifth on a double by Ashley Ray and a single by Mandy Granger, but MSU would hold the Colonels to one hit in their final two at-bats to secure the sweep.

Nicholls was held to five hits in the loss, led by Ray with two doubles. Granger, Megan Gaspard and Tori Lay each recorded singles for the Colonels.

Carlee Winklemann (1-4) took the loss, giving up seven runs – three earned – on eight hits in three innings of work. Ashton Bennett threw three innings of relief, giving up three hits with one strikeout.

McNeese State took advantage of two errors in the first two innings as they grabbed an early four-run lead. A leadoff homer in the third put the score at 5-0 before the Cowgirls used three hits in the next frame to lead 7-0.

Ray's second double of the game put Nicholls on the board in the fifth, bringing home Gaspard from first. With two down, Granger singled to right to make the count 7-2.

Nicholls would threaten again in the sixth as Whitney Roan and Tsade Joubert drew walks before Gaspard singled to load the bases with two outs. However, Kayla Shepherd, who threw a complete game for the Cowgirls, would force a fly out to center and then went on to retire the Colonels in order in the seventh for the win.

The Colonels return to the diamond next weekend at the Colonel Softball Complex when they host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for a three-game set. Saturday's doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m.