LAKE CHARLES, La. – No. 2 McNeese and No. 3 Nicholls advanced on the opening day of the Southland Softball Championship – Lake Charles Bracket, setting up a high-stakes winner’s bracket matchup between the Cowgirls and Colonels. Meanwhile, No. 6 Northwestern State and No. 7 Stephen F. Austin will meet in an elimination game after a pair of tightly contested battles to open the tournament.

Game 1 — (2) McNeese 5, (7) Stephen F. Austin 4

McNeese struck early and held off a persistent Stephen F. Austin rally in a back-and-forth contest to open the bracket. The Cowgirls jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, fueled by aggressive offense and capitalizing on early opportunities before adding two more runs in the fourth to build a cushion.

Stephen F. Austin responded with steady pressure, scoring in four separate innings to keep the game within reach. Morgan Wright delivered a key performance with a home run and multiple hits, while Kaylee Paul added two hits and two runs scored to pace the Ladyjacks offense. Despite out-hitting McNeese, SFA was unable to come up with the timely hit needed late to complete the comeback.

Rylee Cloud provided the biggest swing for McNeese with a two-run home run, while Corine Poncho added two RBIs in the win. In the circle, Maddie Taylor earned the victory before Brookelyn Taylor came on in relief to secure the save, navigating late pressure to send the Cowgirls into the winner’s bracket.

Game 2 — (3) Nicholls 7, (6) Northwestern State 4

Nicholls wasted little time establishing control, plating two runs in the opening frame before breaking things open with a five-run third inning that ultimately proved to be the difference. The Colonels capitalized on timely hitting throughout the lineup, highlighted by multi-RBI efforts from Reagan Heflin and Kayleigh Lugowski, while Madison Moak sparked the offense with two hits and two runs scored.

Northwestern State showed resilience, chipping away with a two-run third and another two-run burst in the fifth to cut the deficit to 7-4. Peyton Young led the Demons with a three-hit performance and drove in two runs, while Aly Delafield added a pair of RBIs of her own. Despite the push, Nicholls pitching settled in down the stretch, as Averi Paden closed the door with three scoreless innings to secure the win.

After a rocky start in the circle, Molly Yoo earned the win for Nicholls, while Brooklynn Stohler provided a strong relief effort for Northwestern State, holding the Colonels scoreless over the final three innings. The early offensive surge, however, was more than enough to send Nicholls into the winner’s bracket.