McNeese stuns No. 7 Alabama

Cowgirls Defeat No. 7 Alabama On Final Day Of Easton Bama Bash

TUSCALOOSA, Ala- The McNeese softball team has a reputation of defeating nationally ranked teams and that was the case again Sunday as the Cowgirls defeated no. 7 Alabama 5-3 in their final game of the Easton Bama Bash. The win is the third win over a nationally ranked team for the Cowgirls this season and the first over Alabama in program history. McNeese concluded tournament play with a 3-2 record and improves to 10-7 on the year.
McNeese jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Katie Roux led the inning off with a single to left center. Roux scored the first run of the game when she crossed the plate on a double to left center by Tori Yanitor for a 1-0 Cowgirl lead. A sacrifice bunt by Emily Vincent sent pinch runner Brittany Calbert to third. Calbert gave McNeese a 2-0 lead after scoring on a pass ball.
Alabama cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning on a solo homerun by Leona Lafaele.
A squeeze bunt by Yanitor in the fourth inning scored Modzelewski from third to give McNeese a 3-1 lead. After Yanitor stole second, McNeese took a 4-1 lead on a RBI single up the middle by Kim Kennedy.
The Tide scored a run in the bottom of the fifth on their second solo home run of the game, this one coming from Kaila Hunt.
McNeese extended their lead to 5-2 in the sixth on a double to right by Vincent, scoring Yanitor from second. Yanitor reached base on a single to right center then went to second on her second stolen base of the game.
Alabama added another run in the bottom of the seventh with a RBI double by Danielle Richard that scored Hunt.
With two outs and the tying run at the plate who happened to be All-American pitcher and a Preseason To 50 Watch List for the USA Softball Player of the Year Jaclyn Traina, sophomore Jamie Allred struck out Traina to end the game and handed the Tide their third loss of the season to as they fell to 12-3.
The win improved Allred to 6-3 on the year. She gave up nine hits, three runs, struck out three and walked five in the complete game victory. Traina fell to 3-2 on the year with the loss.
McNeese collected seven hits and was led by Yanitor’s 2 for 3 plate appearance including two RBI, a double and two stolen bases.
Left fielder Lauren Langner and catcher Ashley Modzelewski were both named to the all-tournament team.
McNeese will travel to Denton, Texas this weekend to take part in the North Texas Best Western Classic for their fourth and final regular season tournament.