Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NATCHITOCHES – Two home runs, including a grand slam from junior Brittany Virgoe, her first-ever, and a two-run shot from Micayla Sorosiak in game one aided in the doubleheader sweep over Southern University for the Northwestern State softball Wednesday evening with scores of 13-1 (five innings) and 9-1 (five innings) at the Lady Demon Diamond.
 
"We had a lot of great things happen today, both at the plate and on the field," said sixth-year head coach Donald Pickett. "I'm proud of our overall performance and feel as if this sweep will give us momentum heading into a tough conference weekend with Sam Houston State."
 
The Lady Demons host a three-game series with the Bearkats starting on Saturday at two o'clock.  
 
Four runs off two Southern (3-30 overall) errors gave NSU (17-15) an early lead in the first inning of game two. Virgoe started the surge when she singled up the middle with one runner on. Cassandra Barefield and Natalie Landry followed with a pair of walks to load up the bases, bringing up Amanda Fulkerson. The Cypress, Texas, native reached first on a mis-communication between shortstop Amanda Pacheco and center fielder Sabrina Stewart when the two collided in left center going after her fly ball. Three runs scooted home as Fulkerson advanced to second on the throw.
 
In the second, Kayla Boening led off the inning with her first triple of the season, and was driven in off a single to second base from Shenequia Abby. Abby worked her way around the bases and eventually scored off a ground-out from Tashana Triplett.
 
The Jaguars picked up just one run throughout the game in the third inning. With a runner on third, Sabrina Stewart flew out to center with just one out, and gave the runner at third a chance to score. Fulkerson made a successful throw from center to combat the scoring attempt, but catcher Baylee Shepard was stripped of the ball when the runner slid into home.
 
Shepard notched another run for NSU in the third when she singled to right with one runner on and two outs.
 
With a 7-1 lead, the Lady Demons added a pair of insurance tallies to end the game in the fifth. Brianna Rodriguez reached on a single to center, and moved to second as Landry grounded out to first. Fulkerson then singled up the middle to bring Rodriguez home and put NSU up by seven.
 
Boening sealed the win and the sweep when she singled down the left field line and sent Fulkerson to the plate.
 
Shelby Sells (4-6) threw a complete game to earn the win, giving up just one hit and one run, and striking out seven batters.
 
Virgoe's grand slam came in the second inning of game one, marking her second homer of the game. Shepard and Tara McKenney got reached off a pair of singles to left and right field, respectively, followed by a single up the middle from Cali Burke to load the bases and bring up Virgoe, cranking the ball to left center. 
 
The Anaheim, Calif., native sent her first home run over the fence in the first inning, giving the Lady Demons an early 4-0 lead. Leadoff McKenney started the inning with a walk and later stole second, followed by Burke also reaching on a walk. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch during Virgoe's at-bat, and advanced home on the shot to the left field outfield club.
 
Southern secured their only run of the game in the second off a double to right center from Pacheco with a runner on second.
 
NSU tacked on six more runs in the third to put the Jaguars at an arm's length. Sorosiak kicked off the scoring spree with her two-run homer to left center. Virgoe followed with a walk and was replaced by Triplett at first, who moved to second on a single down the left field line from Cassandra Barefield. Kellye Kincannon stepped up next, doubling to left center to score Triplett.
 
Brittney Jones was walked and Amanda Fulkerson was hit by a pitch to send Barefield across the plate. Sophomore Natalie Landry reached first on an error by Pacheco, allowing two runs to cross the plate, and cap scoring for the game.
 
Freshman Skylar Cagle (5-4) earned the win in the circle as she allowed just one hit and fanned six hitters in four complete innings. Shelby Alexander threw the fifth and final inning, giving up no hits.
 
Virgoe led from the plate with a 3-for-3 performance and seven RBI on the day, followed by Fulkerson and Sorosiak posting 3-for-5 outings with six and two RBI, respectively. Kincannon put up a perfect 3-for-3 mark in game one, picking up one RBI.
 
The Lady Demons complete their nine-game home stand on Wednesday when they host last season's Baton Rouge Regional Champion and No. 20 Louisiana-Lafayette at six o'clock.