McNeese Softball Claims Outright SLC Regular Season Title

THIBODAUX—McNeese softball clinched the outright Southland Conference regular-season title here Saturday with a 3-0 win over Nicholls to complete the series sweep. The title is the seventh regular-season title and the first since 2017.

McNeese (35-19, 15-3 SLC) will head to next week’s conference tournament in Hammond as the No. 1 seed and will open tournament play at 11 a.m., Wednesday, May 13. The Cowgirls will play the winner of the game 1 winner between the No. 4 and No. 5 seed.

After four scoreless innings, the Cowgirls put up three runs off two hits in the fifth and that’s all the Cowgirls would need to pick up the win.

Pinch-runner Reese Reyna stole home for the first Cowgirl run of the game before a two-RBI single by Kaylee Lopez scored Jill Poullard and Josie Willingham for the 3-0 lead.

Ashley Vallejo (16-7) was lights out in the circle once again, picking up her second win of the series to end the regular season undefeated at 9-0 with five shutouts in league play. Vallejo allowed only two hits and struck out three in her 16th complete game of the season. Vallejo ended the series with a 2-0 record and allowed one (unearned) run with nine strikeouts in 14 innings.

At the plate, McNeese outhit Nicholls 6-2 with Lopez going 2 for 3, with one double and two RBI. Crislyne Moreno had the only other extra-base hit in the game for McNeese with a double in the fourth inning.

SCORING

T5- Pinch-runner Reese Reyna stole home (McN 1, Nich 0)

T5- Lopez singles through the left side, two RBI (McN 3, Nich 0)