NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Northwestern State softball moved its magic number to one after utilizing steady defensive play and a pair of long balls to down Stephen F. Austin, 2-1 from the SFA Softball Complex on Sunday afternoon.

Following McNeese State's doubleheader sweep of Lamar, the Lady Demons (31-15, 20-2 SLC) will have to wait until next weekend for the opportunity to clinch their first Southland Conference championship since 2000. One win in the three-game set at Southeastern Louisiana would seal the No. 1 seed in the NSU-hosted Southland Conference Tournament from May 6-8.

"We've got to keep winning," seventh-year head coach Donald Pickett said. "We've got to go down the Southeastern and win that series and keep momentum going into the tournament."

Mikayla Brown (10-2) earned her second win of the series against SFA (18-29, 10-13 SLC), tossing the complete game, scattering five hits and giving up one earned run while striking out two and walking three.

NSU launched nine home runs on the weekend including a second inning line-drive solo shot from Natalie Landry over the left field wall in the second. In the sixth, Kellye Kincannon gave the Lady Demons some much needed breathing room, accounting for her 50^th RBI with a solo jack.

Landry, Micayla Sorosiak, Kaytie Proctor and Hailee Rhodes, who make up the Lady Demons 6-9 hitters in the order, accounted for 14 of the team's 25 hits on the weekend including five home runs.

"Our top five in the order struggled yesterday and today," Pickett said. "For (the bottom half) to come through was huge. That's why it's a team game and we're built like that. As long as those kids are confident, they're very capable of doing those things."

SFA secured its lone run of the game in the sixth inning on a Lindsay Campbell triple to plate Brittany Lewis.

The double-play ball proved to be the difference for NSU. With the bases juiced for the Ladyjacks in the fifth, Brittany Virgoe stabbed a line drive from Alisa Hamilton and stepped on the bag to set down Annie Mehringer and end the threat.

"We've been making the plays," Pickett said. "If we can do that and continue to be confident on that side of the ball then I think we can make the adjustments we need to make and score the runs we need to score offensively."

Ladyjacks' starter Callee Guffey (10-13) went the distance but again fell short to NSU. The righty allowed five hits and two runs while walking one.

First pitch for Friday's doubleheader at Southeastern Louisiana is scheduled for 3 p.m. with the Saturday finale slated for noon.