SAN ANTONIO, Texas – In a game that ended about 16 hours and 15 minutes after it started due to suspended play from rain the night before, McNeese State outlasted Sam Houston State 6-1 in the Southland Conference Softball Tournament at Roadrunner Field in San Antonio, Texas.

After being shutdown offensively by Sam Houston pitcher Tomi Garrison through five innings, the Cowgirls capitalized on some Bearkat errors in the sixth. Dani Price started the inning for the Cowgirls with a single down the left field line to give McNeese its second hit of the game. The Cowgirls then loaded the bases after the Bearkats committed consecutive errors on two sacrifice bunt attempts. McNeese plated the first runs of the game after two consecutive fielder’s choices. The big hit of the inning came from catcher Stacey Conley, who roped a two-RBI single to right field. The Cowgirls plated five runs in the sixth inning, all of which were unearned. The Cowgirls added one more run in the seventh innings to increase the lead to 6-0.

Sam Houston (26-20) avoided the shutout with a solo shot by Ashley Isbell in the seventh. Isbell home run off the scoreboard in left field was her fifth homer of the season.

Freshman Bianca Lilly went the distance for the Cowgirls, allowing only one run on five hits while striking out two hitters. Lilly improves to 4-1 on the year. Garrison fell to 10-9 on the season after going 5.2 innings, allowing five unearned runs on five hits.

McNeese State (34-19) will face top-seeded Texas State today at 4:30 p.m. for a spot in tomorrow’s championship game. Sam Houston State will play Central Arkansas in an elimination game today at 2 p.m.