LAKE CHARLES – Seven was the lucky number in a pair of decisive Northwestern State softball victories against McNeese State at the Cowgirl Diamond on Saturday.

In the opener, starter Mikayla Brown tossed all seven innings, holding the Cowgirls to just one run in a 6-1 victory. In Game 2, NSU put up a seven-run fourth highlighted by a three-run home run from Cassandra Barefield for a 9-3 win.

The victories moved NSU into sole possession of first place in the Southland Conference at 24-14 overall and 14-2 in league play. McNeese fell to 25-17 and 12-5 in conference action.

"Mikayla Brown came out and threw a great game," seventh-year head coach Donald Pickett said. "It was huge for us to come out and tie the game then we got a couple big hits and were able to extend it. I think our girls played a lot more confident and loose at that time."

NSU catcher Kaytie Proctor, tasked with controlling McNeese's aggressive offense, did that and more, launching a two-run homer over the left field wall in the sixth inning of Game 1, giving NSU a 3-1 lead. The freshman also gunned down a McNeese runner in the fourth.

Natalie Landry provided the final blow one inning later, with a two-run shot of her own, pushing NSU's lead to 6-1. Both long balls cleared the wall in left center and marked the 17^th time this season the Lady Demons have hit two or more homers in a game.

The left fielder added another long ball in Game 2, a solo shot in the fifth inning. The pair of long balls moved her season total to six. Barefield finished with two home runs of her own, the first coming by way of a solo jack in the second inning of Game 2.

"McNeese is a great team and you need to score all the runs you can against them," Pickett said. "Barefield and Landry had big days for us. It was huge for us to have them come up with big hits and tally quite a few RBIs."

Brown (6-2) notched her third straight complete game as a starter, allowing just three hits and one run while walking two and fanning a pair.

McNeese got on the board first in the second inning. Starting pitcher Emily Vincent, batting in the four-hole, reached to lead off the frame on a hit by pitch. After the junior proceeded to swipe her 11^th and 12^th bags of the season, Hailey Drew reached on a two-out walk to place runners at the corners. Drew raced for second on the first pitch to Shelbi Strickland and Proctor attempted to catch Vincent off third, however, an errant throw brought in McNeese's first run of the game.

Vincent tossed six innings, allowing five runs and seven hits while striking out seven and walking three. She gave way to Jamie Allred who threw the final inning, giving up one run and one hit while striking out another.

With two outs in the third, NSU answered. Brittany Virgoe laced a 2-1 pitch to right center for a double, NSU's first hit and third baserunner of the day. Then, on the same count, Kellye Kincannon placed a ball to the nearly identical spot, knotting the game at one on her seventh double of the season.

The Cowgirls threated in the sixth, as Taylor Goree and Marisa Taunton reached on singles, just the second and third hits of the day for McNeese. The pair moved over on a successful sacrifice bunt from Lauren Langner. However, against the heart of the McNeese order, Brown clamped down. The right-hander forced a pop out to first baseman Brittney Jones in foul territory then induced a groundout to shortstop to end the threat.

In the seventh, Virgoe lined a shot down the left field line for a leadoff double. With Kincannon at the plate, the senior moved to second on an error by Goree at short, placing runners on first and second and effectively chasing Vincent from the game. With Jamie Allred in to pitch, the duo moved up a bag on a wild pitch. Brittney Jones, whose reached base streak ended at 10, was able to drive Virgoe home on a sacrifice fly to left. One batter later, Landry launched her fifth homer of the season.

"We're taking it a game at a time and our girls have done really well about doing that," Pickett said. "That's how we approach every game we play. We have to go out and prove ourselves every day. There are a lot of great teams in our conference and we just need to keep playing good ball."

In the second inning of Game 2, Bryanna Castro led off with a single. The freshman stole second and swiped third on Hailee Drew's walk. However, NSU starter Baylee Gray, making her first start since March 27 at Lamar, forced Taylor Schmidt to pop up into a double play, catching Drew off third to end the frame.

One inning later, Langner lined a two-out single and proceeded to second on an error in left field. She would come around to score one batter later on the Piancastelli double to knot the game at one.

A lengthy seven-run seventh inning doomed the Cowgirls. NSU juiced the bases thanks to a Landry single sandwiched between a pair of walks from Jones and Proctor. With one out, Hailee Rhodes plated Jones on a single down the left field line. The NSU lead moved to 3-1 on a fielder's choice groundout from Sidney Salmans. Virgoe got into the action with a bloop single down the right field line that moved the lead to 4-1. Then, on a 2-2 count, Kincannon hit a liner to the left field wall, to plate Salmans setting the stage for Barefield's three-run jack.

McNeese scratched back for a pair in their half of the fourth as Drew launched a two-run home run. After Schmidt singled, Gray exited the game. The junior tossed 3 1-3 innings, allowing three runs, six hits and two walks.

Shelby Sells (2-3) went 3 innings, earning her second win, allowing four hits and two runs. Brown entered to record the game's final two outs.

With inclement weather forcing the cancellation of Game 3 of the series, NSU returns to action on Wednesday at Louisiana Tech. First pitch from the Lady Techster Softball Complex is slated for six o'clock.