LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Lamar University Cardinals advanced to the finals of the Southland Conference Softball Tournament for the first time in program history with a 5-3 win over Stephen F. Austin on Friday.
 
The third-seeded Cardinals (35-21) face top-seeded McNeese in the championship round starting at 3 p.m. Friday. The Cardinals need to defeat the Cowgirls twice to win the title, while McNeese, which was an 8-4 winner over LU on Thursday, needs just one win to claim the title. Should LU win the 3 p.m. game, a winner-take-all game would start at approximately 6 p.m.
 
Against SFA, the Cardinals scored two runs in each of the first two innings to take a 4-0 lead. Fifth-seeded put a single run on the board in the top of the sixth, but LU got that run back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI triple by Stephanie Meeuwsen. It was the 13^th career triple for Meeuwsen, tying the all-time LU mark set by Donna Dugas, who played for LU from 1984 through 1987.
 
SFA scored two unearned runs against LU starter Ciara Luna (17-8) in the seventh inning, but it wasn't enough for the Ladyjacks, who have now lost six straight to the Cardinals.
 
Ashley McDowell and Brittany Rodriguez had two hits apiece for the Cardinals.
 
The championship round will be shown live on ESPN3.