Box Score

NATCHITOCHES – Brooke Boening pitched a complete-game shutout, and Kylie Roos blasted a vital two-run homer to lift the Northwestern State softball team ahead of defending Southland Conference champions Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 3-0 to start SLC action Wednesday night at the Lady Demon Diamond Complex.

 

Boening (3-1) picked up the win for NSU (11-14, 1-0 SLC) and did not allow a TAMUCC (5-12, 1-2 SLC) leadoff hitter to reach base in any inning. She let up just two hits and struck out three.

 

“This was a huge game for Brooke. It was emotional seeing her pitch a complete-game shutout after her severe leg injury in the fall. She has worked really hard at getting back into playing form, and kept us in the game long enough for our bats to come through,” said head coach Donald Pickett.

 

Roos crushed her first home run of the season in the fifth inning with a line-drive shot that travelled far over the fence in left-center field. The two-RBI hit extended NSU's lead to 3-0, as it plated Shenequia Abby, who came in to pitch-run after Cheyenne DeLaGarza walked.

 

“Kylie has been swinging the bat really well over the past few days. She hit well against Houston on Wednesday, and again looked good in practice yesterday. I know she's been frusturated at her struggles early in the year, but we all knew this was going to come. She's show over the last few days that she's back,” Pickett said.

 

The Lady Demons got on the board in the first inning when Tara McKenney scored on an illegal pitch call on TAMUCC's Jordan Trujillo. McKenney started the inning by ripping a double into left center, and advanced to third on a throwing error.

 

“Tara is an all-conference caliber player. She's very talented and a very important part of our lineup,” Pickett said. “The double in the first inning set the tone for the whole game and gave us energy from the very beginning. Her at-bats give a lot of confidence to the rest of our lineup.”

 

Blair Beard extended her hitting streak to six games with a single to leftfield in the fifth inning. Samantha Roberts roped a single down the leftfield line in the second inning, as the Lady Demons outhit the Islanders, 4-2.

 

Trujillo (3-4) picked up the loss for the Islanders after allowing two earned runs. She registered six strikeouts in six innings. Meagan McKinney and Jamise Jackson each knocked a single to account for TAMUCC's hits.

 

The Lady Demons will look to sweep the series on Saturday, as the teams square off again at noon.