LAKE CHARLES, La. – Lamar University softball finished off Cowgirl Classic play with a 7-1 win over Tennessee State to secure a split of their four-game slate. Both wins this weekend came in the second attempt against the two opponents and on the backs of impressive freshmen performances on the mound.
 
The Cardinals got off to a flying start as a walk and a single turned into two runs after Cameron Niedenthal's RBI double. Makayla Valle held the Tiger bats at bay early on allowing just one hit before letting up a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth.
 
The bats woke up for LU in the fifth inning as Veronica Harrison notched an RBI single to start the scoring in the inning. Jayne Sepulveda managed a sacrifice fly before Niedenthal secured her second RBI double of the day. Raigan Brannon joined in the fun with an RBI single in her first career at-bat to give the Cardinals a 6-1 lead.
 
Tennessee State looked to threaten in the bottom of the sixth getting two runners on, but Emma Wardlaw, after her first career win the day before, struck out the final two batters of the inning to get out of the jam. LU would add an insurance run in the top of the seventh as Aubrey Brown got her first career RBI with a single.
 
The Cardinals had 12 hits to power the offense as eight of the nine starters were able to get hits on the day. Niedenthal had three RBI on her two doubles while Kalyn Xayaseng and Brooke Davis each recorded two hits as well. Sepulveda notched another RBI to tie her for team lead on the year with Harrison, Brannon and Brown each recorded an RBI.
 
Valle secured the win in her Cardinal debut allowing just one run on two hits in four innings of work with one walk and three strikeouts. Wardlaw, after her first career win the day before, provided three innings of scoreless relief allowing just one hit and one HBP to go with five strikeouts.
 
LU returns to McNeese next week for another tournament, this time the Cowgirl Challenge. They start on Friday against former conference foe Central Arkansas at 1 p.m.