COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce softball played conference-leading McNeese Cowgirls to tight seven innings in the first game on Friday evening at John Cain Family Field, falling 2-0, while the Cowgirls took the nightcap 14-2 in five innings.
 
Game 1: MCNEESE 2, A&M-COMMERCE 0
The Lions had base runners in all seven inning, but stranded seven in the game, while the Cowgirls were held scoreless through the first four innings. In the third, a two-run home run for McNeese was wiped off the scoreboard after a review by the Lions. The runner at second was called out for leaving early on the play.
 
In the fifth, Mariana Torres doubled down the right field line with an out in the fifth. After a strikeout, Corine Poncho doubled to right center, bringing home Torres, for the first run of the game. Torres doubled to left in the seventh. Poncho singled to left center, bringing home Torres once again. Poncho tried to extend it out to a double, but was tagged out at second.
 
The Lions left three runners on base in the game, including one on third in the game. Cowgirls left five on base. Poncho went 2 for 3 for the Cowgirls at the top of the order, driving in both runs, while Torres went 3 for 3, and Alexis Dibbley went 2 for 3 in the game as well.
 
For the Lions, Charli Anger (Lubbock – Cooper), Ashley Diaz (Chinco, Calif.) and Ashlynn Griffith (Cedar Hill) had a hit each in the game. Diaz came in as a pinch hitter in the seventh. Julia Sanchez (The Kinkaid School) tossed a complete game, but took the loss in the circle. She surrendered eight hits, two earned runs, and a walk, while striking out four.
 
Shaelyn Sanders got the complete-game shutout win for the Cowgirls. She allowed three hits and struck out six, while allowing two walks.
 
Game 2: MCNEESE 14, A&M-COMMERCE 2 (Five Innings)
McNeese plated nine runs in the top of the first on four hits, two home runs, two errors, and three Lion pitchers appeared in the game. Poncho scored on a bases-loaded hit by pitch, while Crislyne Moreno drove in two with a double to left center, Bella Perez drilled a three-run home run to left center, Reese Reyna scoring on a Lion throwing error, and Poncho hit a two-run home run to left.
 
The first run of the day for the Lions came in the bottom of the first. Tehya Pitts (Denton – Guyer) singled through the left side and Anger earned a four-pitch walk. After a groundout, Diamond Sefe (Carson, Calif.) doubled to left, plating Pitts. A strikeout and groundout ended the inning. 
 
Lencia Powell (Birdville) doubled to left with no outs in the bottom of the second, moving to second on a fly out, and scored on an RBI groundout to second by Isabella Arzola (Chino, Calif.). Outside of the fifth inning in game two, the Lions had a runner reach base in all innings on Friday. 
 
The Cowgirls added five runs in the fifth on two hits, two errors, and left one on base. Rylie Bouvier tripled to left, bringing home a run, Dibbley reached on a fielding error, as Bouvier scored, and she then come around to score, while Reyna hit a two-run single up the middle to cap off the inning. 
 
Both Reyna and Rylee Eyster had two hits each in the game for the Cowgirls, while Pitts, Tatum Wright (Frisco – Centennial), Sefe, Powell, and Griffith had a hit each in the game.
 
Anissa Arredondo (San Antonio – Warren) got the loss for the Lions. She was charged with five earned runs without recording an out. Maddie Muller (Frisco – Memorial) pitched the final 4.2 innings of the game and allowed six runs, but none were earned.
 
McNeese used three pitchers in the game. Dibbley started the game and allowed two earned runs in two innings, while Ryann Schexnayder got the win, tossing two shutout innings.
 
The Lions fall to 7-38 on the season and 0-17 in Southland Conference play, while McNeese is now 28-15 overall and 13-1 in conference play.
 
UP NEXT
The two teams close out the series at noon on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at LionAthletics.com/Tickets.