Fa La Ma found another victim — this one its most high-profile yet.
The ritualistic, voodoo-style dancing and hazing of the McNeese State bats, Shelbi Strickland’s creation that’s now a pregame staple among this entire Cowgirls team suddenly brimming with confidence, made its home debut in a Fat Tuesday matinee against a stalwart South Alabama pitching staff.
“It is for real,” Morgan Catron declared. “It’s got to be done.”
Catron and Tori Yanitor, hitting three and four, had three hits apiece and the Cowgirls chased Jaguars starter Destin Vicknair before she could finish two innings, pummeling a South Alabama team that came in winners of eight straight, 7-1, at Cowgirl Diamond.
Catron, named the Southland Conference’s Hitter of the Week during Tuesday’s game, had three extra-base hits by the fourth inning. Her first-inning home run off Vicknair began an offensive onslaught not seen by this Jaguars team and a pitching staff that had surrendered only 11 runs.
McNeese had seven across the game’s first two innings.
“I’m just proud of our team for sticking to the plan,” first-year coach James Landreneau said. “(Vicknair’s) tough, she’s had a lot of success. We just had to go in and get our pitch. The difference is, today we were able to hit some balls hard to get some luck.”
Coming off a weekend where her team did not permit a run in four games, Vicknair entered the proceedings with a 0.53 ERA. It swelled to 1.21 after three Cowgirl batters.
By the time she exited, after 1 1 /3 innings, it ballooned to 1.72, the result of a reinvigorated McNeese offense finally embodying its potential.
Vicknair required 38 pitches to navigate the McNeese order in the first inning, where all nine hitters came to the plate and forced the imposing right-hander to find the strike zone.
She refused. Hailey Drew was hit in the elbow by the first pitch Vicknair threw. Erika Piancastelli drew a walk — her 18th of the season — before Catron demolished Vicknair’s 0-2 offering into a swirling left-to-right wind in dead center field, affording her team a 3-1 lead that would only grow.
“I think our energy was really there because we saw, I guess, she struggled in those first two at-bats,” Yanitor said. “And when you see a pitcher struggling like that, it’s just time to attack.”
So they did. Vicknair exited after Yanitor yanked her 2-2, second-inning offering off the top of the scoreboard for a two-run home run, leaving after recording just four outs and with her team down 7-1.
South Alabama, a 13-1 team receiving votes in national polls, could muster little against Cowgirls freshman starter Alexsandra Flores, who made just the second start of her collegiate career and first in Lake Charles.
Flores twirled a complete game five-hitter — all five were singles and three did not leave the infield — while permitting zero earned runs.
“Impressive start from a freshman,” Landreneau said. “One thing about Flores is her composure is way above her years in the circle. She’s been brought into some really tough situations. A lot of confidence in that kid.”
Allowed aboard by Cowgirls’ second baseman Jamaiya Miller’s error to open the game, Kaleigh Todd scored on Haleigh Lowe’s first inning single.
Defensive miscues have dotted the Cowgirls’ early season struggles. Though not pleased with the gaffes, Landreneau maintains a similar answer when questions arise. The offense he trots out is good enough, he says, to overcome a miscue or two per game.
His rationalization is now realized.
“We’re so bought into the process that outcomes are just a byproduct,” Yanitor said. “It’s just a really cool thing to see it come together.”
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