LAKE CHARLES, La. – No. 2 McNeese moved within one win of the championship series, while No. 3 Nicholls stayed alive and forced a decisive Lake Charles Bracket Final on day two of the Southland Softball Championship. The Cowgirls will need just one win in Sunday’s slate, while the Colonels must win twice, with games set for 1 and 4 p.m.
Game 3 — (7) Stephen F. Austin 4, (6) Northwestern State 2
Stephen F. Austin stayed alive in dramatic fashion, erasing a late deficit and pulling away in extras to eliminate Northwestern State. With their season down to the final out, Kara Pride delivered a clutch game-tying home run to extend the game, swinging momentum back to the Jacks when it mattered most. SFA carried that energy into the ninth, adding two critical runs to finally create separation and secure the win.
Pride’s late heroics proved to be the turning point, while Jamie Varga and Kaylee Paul added timely contributions to keep pressure on throughout. Despite being out-hit, the Ladyjacks made the most of their opportunities, delivering in the biggest moments to survive and advance.
Northwestern State generated consistent traffic offensively, finishing with nine hits, including a standout three-hit effort and home run from Mckenna Rinewalt. However, the Demons were unable to capitalize, stranding 12 runners on base. Amelia Hatthorn delivered a complete-game performance in the circle for SFA, limiting damage and working through repeated jams to close out the victory.
Game 4 — (2) McNeese 6, (3) Nicholls 5
McNeese used an early offensive surge and held off a late Nicholls rally to remain unbeaten in the bracket. The Cowgirls jumped out to a 6-1 lead through three innings, capitalizing on consistent contact and aggressive baserunning to put the Colonels on their heels early.
Nicholls responded with a push late, scoring twice in the sixth and adding two more in the seventh to cut the deficit to one. Claire Sisco and Kayleigh Lugowski paced the Colonels offense, combining for multiple hits and RBIs, while Nicholls continued to apply pressure until the final out.
The Cowgirls leaned on a balanced offensive attack, highlighted by multi-hit performances from Kassidy Chance, Jada Munoz and Onna Pruitt, with Pruitt driving in two runs. Maddie Taylor earned the win in the circle, navigating traffic across six-plus innings, while McNeese turned key defensive plays to halt Nicholls’ comeback attempt.
Game 5 — (3) Nicholls 11, (7) Stephen F. Austin 1 (5 innings)
Facing elimination, Nicholls responded in emphatic fashion, exploding offensively to run-rule Stephen F. Austin and punch its ticket to the bracket final. The Colonels scored in three of the first four innings, including a decisive seven-run fourth that broke the game open.
Claire Sisco led the charge with a dominant performance at the plate, collecting three hits and driving in four runs, while the lineup produced 12 hits in total. Contributions came throughout the order, with Liliana Robledo, Reagan Heflin and Gabby Higbee each driving in runs as Nicholls showcased its depth offensively.
Sierra Ouellette controlled the game in the circle, limiting SFA to just one run while keeping the Ladyjacks off balance. Stephen F. Austin managed five hits, with Ellie Vance recording a multi-hit effort, but could not keep pace with the Colonels’ offensive outburst as their tournament run came to a close.