Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NATCHITOCHES – Home runs from Sam Houston State in the final innings of both games of Saturday afternoon's twinbill forced the Northwestern State softball team to drop both Southland Conference contests, falling 7-5 (nine innings) and 6-3 at the Lady Demon Diamond.
 
Northwestern State moved to 17-17 overall, and 6-7 in the Southland as the Bearkats improved to 20-17, 9-5.
 
"We knew entering this weekend that it was going to be a battle from the plate because of how offensive both of us are," said sixth-year head coach Donald Pickett. "The outcome was not what we wanted, but hopefully we can bounce back and take Sunday's game to avoid the sweep."
 
In game two, the Bearkats held a 4-3 lead entering the seventh inning, and put the Lady Demons at an arm's length with a two-run homer from Tiffany Castillo, her second of the day. A quick three-up, three-down performance for NSU in the bottom of the inning brought the game to an end.
 
The Bearkats had already put up one run in the first and tacked on two more in the second off one hit and a pair of NSU errors for the advantage early on.
 
Northwestern State put up two runs in the first to take an early lead. Tara McKenney led off with a single to left center, and advanced to second on the throw. She moved to third as Cali Burke grounded out to first, and later scored off a double to center from Brittany Virgoe. Two straight batters were then walked to load up the bases and force a Sam Houston pitching change, subbing Shelby Lancaster for starter Meme Quinn.
 
Brittney Jones faced Quinn first, and reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop Tayler Gray, who made the play at second and gave Virgoe the chance to scoot home.
 
The third and fourth innings were rendered scoreless, and the Lady Demons secured their third and final run in the fifth as Cali Burke doubled to center with McKenney on second.
 
 Sam Houston put up a 4-0 advantage quickly in game one, picking up two runs in  both the first and second innings.
 
In the fourth, designated player Cassandra Barefield sparked a rally as she led off the inning with a homer to left center, her 11^th of the season.
 
Singles from Jones, Brianna Rodriguez and Mikayla Sorosiak allowed NSU to load up the bases and make Sam Houston change pitchers once again, this time Quinn came in for Lancaster.
 
Lancaster aided Northwestern State by walking two consecutive batters and brought the Lady Demons within one.
 
Despite the three-run inning from NSU, the Bearkats secured another run in the fifth when they loaded up the bases and received a walk from pitcher Shelby Sells, putting up a 5-3 advantage.
 
The Lady Demons answered with single runs in the fifth and sixth to force extra innings as Barefield led off the fifth with a single deep to center field, advanced to second on the throw, and was replaced by pinch runner Tashana Triplett.
 
Triplett moved to third as Kellye Kincannon reached on an error by second baseman Alyssa Coggins. Jones stepped up next and drove in the final run as she singled to left and sent Triplett home. Burke tied the game in the sixth with a RBI double.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings, but Hillary Adams and Castillo cranked back-to-back solo home runs in the ninth to later take the 7-5 win.
 
Sells (3-7) suffered the loss in game one after relieving starter Kaylee Guidry in the third. Sells gave up eight hits and three runs while striking out four, and Guidry threw two complete innings, allowing six hits and four runs.
 
Gray (2-3) made it through 6.1 innings in the circle in game two before freshman Skylar Cagle came in in relief. Gray allowed 11 hits and six runs and struck out two. Cagle gave up just one hit in her .2 innings.
 
Burke and McKenney led from the plate with 4-for-7 performances. Burke notched three RBI as McKenney picked up one. Jones dished out a 2-for-8 outing and one RBI.
 
Northwestern State hosts the Bearkats once again on Sunday at noon at the Lady Demon Diamond, and will welcome No. 20 Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday at six o'clock for a single game before hitting the road to league foe Central Arkansas on Saturday.