McNeese State University has a great softball tradition, and the Cowgirls are currently holding down the Southland with a 14-1 record in conference play. The softball team has three wins over ranked opponents this season, knocking off both Washington and North Texas earlier in 2023. But perhaps there was no ranked win more critical than the Cowgirls’ upset over a fellow in-state school on Tuesday.
McNeese State knocked off the LSU Tigers 4-3 in a thrilling come-from-behind victory. It was the program’s first softball win against LSU since 2014, so a historical one, as they clawed back from a three-run deficit.
The 15th-ranked Tigers quickly took a 3-0 lead, but the Cowgirls were able to limit the damage from there on out. In the bottom of the third, junior catcher Emily Phillips ripped a two-run blast that helped spark a significant comeback. Phillips’ home run led to a three-run inning which got McNeese right back into Tuesday’s contest.
Following the home run, senior outfielder Alayis Seneca had an infield single and then advanced to second and third on back-to-back groundouts. With two down in the third, sophomore infielder Mariana Torres reached on an error committed by the LSU right fielder, which allowed Seneca to score and tie the game at 3.
McNeese took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, as junior catcher Chloe Gomez created her run-scoring opportunity. Gomez singled to shortstop and then reached second after a throwing error by the first baseman. She advanced to third with one out and came racing home on a passed ball to give the Cowgirls a 4-3 lead.
After retiring the side in the top of the seventh inning, absolute mayhem occurred in the outfield as the McNeese girls celebrated the huge win.
McNeese sure had fun on social media following the enormous upset win:
Not every day, you beat a top-flight SEC program and a ranked one at that. Indeed, the Cowgirls will enjoy this huge win, which is a bit sweeter coming against an in-state rival they hadn’t beaten in nearly a decade.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.