ABILENE - Freshman shortstop
Peyton Hedrick continued to see the ball well Saturday as she crushed two moonshot homeruns as part of a 2-for-2, four RBI performance during Abilene Christian's 13-6 loss to McNeese at Poly Wells Field.
Hedrick crushed a third-inning solo shot that pulled the Wildcats to within two runs at 5-3 and in the fifth she drilled a three-run blast off the scoreboard in left, which cut the Cowgirls lead down to 8-6.
The Forney, Texas, native is now hitting .452 on the season to go along with a .753 slugging percentage (nine doubles, triple, six home runs) and .496 on-base percentage.
But that's as close as the Wildcats (6-24, 2-10 Southland) could get to McNeese as the Cowgirls scored the game's final five runs. Erika Piancastelli answered Hedrick's round-tripper with her third home run of the series - a three-run jack that sailed over the wall in left field. Starting pitcher Rachel Smith further helped to sealed the victory in the seventh with her second home run of the game - a two-run bomb to the gap in right-center.
McNeese (25-12, 11-1 Southland) finished the game with 12 hits - nine for extra bases - but the Cowgirls also were charged with three errors, two of which led to a pair of unearned runs for the Wildcats in the first inning as they started the game down 3-0.
An error by shortstop Taylor Goree allowed leadoff batter
Taylor Brown to reach, and after a walk was issued to
Kristin Watkins, Hedrick bunted both runners up a base.
Holly Neese plated Brown with a fly ball to left and on the next play Watkins scored on a two-out error made by third baseman Lakeyn Fontenot.
Unfortunately, whenever ACU scored to get back in the game McNeese frequently found a way to gain back its advantage and scored in all but one inning.
Smith's first home run of the season came right after Hedrick went deep in the third to make it a 6-3 game. And in the fifth the Cowgirls scored two more times vs. reliever
Emily Seidel with extra-base hits coming off the bats of Piancastelli, Emily Vincent and Lauren Langner.
Both of Vincent's hits were triples, while Piancastelli finished the day 2-for-3 with three runs.
Vincent, who was game one's winner yesterday, finished today's contest in the seventh after Smith began the frame with back-to-back walks of Watkins and Hedrick.
Smith struck out six in as many innings and was charged with four earned runs on six hits and four walks.
Julia Montoya started for the Wildcats and took the loss after giving up six earned runs through 3.0 innings of work.
The Wildcats return to action next weekend with a three-game Southland Conference series vs. their old rivals from Incarnate Word. Game times are Friday at 4 p.m. (DH) and Saturday at noon.
