Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Home runs in from Cassandra Barefield in both games Saturday afternoon allowed the Northwestern State softball team to pick up wins over Middle Tennessee State 10-7 and later from Tennessee Tech 9-0 (five innings) at the Frost Classic hosted by Tennessee-Chattanooga.

With the wins, the Lady Demons improve to 7-6 overall as the Blue Raiders and the Golden Eagles drop to 4-10 and 4-8, respectively.

"These were two wins that we needed today, and we made them big," said sixth-year head coach Donald Pickett. "We'll wrap up tournament play tomorrow with Ohio, which will be another big game for us."

Picking up two runs in the first inning against TTU, the Lady Demons added six more in the second for a massive 8-0 lead.

Tara McKenney led off the game with a double to center field, followed by Brianna Rodriguez smacking her 40^th career double and allowing McKenney to score. With the double, Rodriguez landed a spot in the NSU career record book, tied for fifth with Misty Carraway '97 and Nicole Martin '05.

Natalie Landry singled up the middle to score Rodriguez and give NSU the 2-0 lead.

In the second, McKenney stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and sent a shot to left center, scoring one run. Rodriguez entered the same situation, singling to third base and picking up a RBI as well. Barefield was hit by a pitch, forcing runners to advance and the Golden Eagles to make a pitching change.

Micayla Sorosiak gave NSU the edge as she doubled to left center and cleared the bases, giving NSU an 8-0 lead.

Barefield tacked on an insurance run in the fourth, sending her second homer of the day over the right field fence.

Freshman Skylar Cagle (3-3) picked up the win, striking out three and allowing four hits.

Against the Blue Raiders, NSU loaded up the bases in the top of the first with one out as Landry reached on an error and moved to second on the throw for one run to score. Sorosiak stepped to the plate next and doubled to left center, clearing the bases and putting the Lady Demons up 4-0.

In the second, Northwestern State loaded the bases once again to force a MT pitching change and bring up Barefield. The Houston, Texas, native singled to left center and sent one runner home for the only run of the inning.

McKenney picked up her only RBI of the game in the third to aid the Lady Demons, doubling down the left field line with runners on second and third. Brittany Virgoe followed with a RBI of her own, reaching on an error from the shortstop and giving the runner at third time to run home.

Entering the sixth inning with a six run lead, Barefield smacked her fifth homer of the season with Rodriguez and Virgoe occupying first and second, respectively, to give NSU a large lead.

The Blue Raiders put up single runs in the first, third and fourth innings, but were unable to send any more runners over the plate.

Sophomore Baylee Gray (1-0) picked up her firstwin of the season in the circle, striking out one and allowing nine hits.

Barefield led from the plate on the day with a four-for-six performance and six RBI, followed by Sorosiak putting up a three-four-five outing and five RBI.

Northwestern State will face off with Ohio on Sunday at 11:00 for its final game of the tournament.