Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HOUSTON – Freshman Brittney Jones cranked out a home run in each of the Northwestern State softball team's shutouts Saturday afternoon as the Lady Demons defeated Houston Baptist 3-0 in game one and 4-0 in game two, in the opening day of Southland Conference play, both at Husky Field.
 
With the wins, NSU picks up the series win and moves to 10-9 overall, 2-0 in the Southland, while HBU falls to 4-12, 0-2.
 
"These were two wins that we needed, and getting the shutouts in both made it that much better," said sixth-year head coach Donald Pickett. "Getting the series win is important when it comes to the end of the season and the conference tournament, but we need to get the sweep tomorrow to make this weekend complete."
 
In game two with a three-run lead in the fifth and one out, Jones sent a solo homer to left center to cap the scoring and give NSU a 4-0 advantage over the Huskies.
 
The Lady Demons got on the board early in the first inning starting with Cali Burke as she singled to shortstop Kirsten Schwirtlich. The senior second baseman advanced to second as Cassandra Barefield reached on an error from pitcher Shannon O'Connor. Brittany Virgoe was called up next, singling to left center and giving Burke the chance to score.
 
Northwestern State added two more in the fourth as Cheyenne DelaGarza led off the inning with a double to right center and was replaced by pinch runner Tashana Triplett. Kayla Boening popped up to Schwirtlich for the first out, followed by Tara McKenney with the RBI single, also to right center, to score Triplett. Burke was drawn next and singled up the middle, giving McKenney the opportunity to scoot home. Brianna Rodriguez and Barefield both flew out to end the inning.
 
Senior Kaylee Guidry (3-2) earned the win and the shutout as she struck out four andwalked just two batters in seven full innings.
 
After two scoreless innings in game one, junior transfer Kayla Boening stepped to the plate with two outs and went deep in the count to come away with her first career homer, sending a shot over the left field fence to give the Lady Demons the lead and the eventual win.
 
In the top of the seventh, Virgoe singled to right field with one out to draw up Jones, who homered to left center, giving NSU two insurance runs. The Huskies were unable to combat the three-run deficit in the bottom of the inning, allowing freshman Shelby Sells (3-3) to claim her third win of the season.
 
Sells threw a complete game, giving up just two hits and striking out four batters.
 
Jones led from the plate on the day, putting up a four-for-seven performance and picking up three RBI, followed by Virgoe at three-for-seven and one RBI.
 
NSU will square off with the Huskies once more on Sunday at two o'clock to complete the three game series, and will return home on Saturday to host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, also beginning at 2:00, at the Lady Demon Diamond.