Box Score SAN MARCOS, TEXAS -- Patience is a desired virtue for a softball team, and Northwestern State displayed plenty of it Friday in a season-opening 5-1 win against DePaul in Texas State's CenturyLink Classic.

NSU (1-0) was held scoreless in the first four innings despite putting eight runners on base (six walks), but the Lady Demons blasted four home runs in the fifth inning for all five runs.

Junior Kellye Kincannon started the power party with a solo home run to centerfield, which junior Brittney Jones followed up with a solo shot to left field in the next at-bat for a 2-0 lead.

After sophomore Micaela Bouvier walked, senior Natalie Landry bombed a left-field home run for a 4-0 edge. Junior transfer Jordan Rains will remember her first hit as a Lady Demon, nailing a left-field homer for the 5-0 advantage.

"We were just trying to work, and we were having good at bats early. "We just had to stay calm and keep it simple, and it opened it up for everybody," said Kincannon, who went 3-for-4 and recorded NSU's only non-home run hit. "We are really versatile this year, and we had a lot of bunts, home runs and base hits today.
"We're going to build off this. It's always great to come out with a win where everybody contributed."

NSU returns to the diamond tonight to face Oklahoma State at 7 p.m.

Jones said she felt the avalanche coming as the fifth inning began because the Lady Demons were seeing a lot of pitches from DePaul (1-1) starter Morgan Maize (1-1).
Maize, who held NSU to just one hit entering the fifth inning, walked six batters as she stranded two runners in each of the first four innings.

"Even before Kellye hit, I thought it was time to bust it open," Jones said. "But when Kellye homered, I just thought I needed to get on.

"We were feeling good with the pitcher, and when she started hanging (pitches) over the plate, we started busting it open. It felt awesome (to get in the win column early after an 0-6 start to the 2015 season), and I think it's really good for this team."

Sophomore pitcher Mikayla Brown needed patience as well. Brown (1-0), who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, worked around two walks and three hit-by-pitches to limit DePaul's offense. Brown allowed three hits and one run en route to a complete game with six strikeouts.

"I refocused after hitting or walking a batter, knowing what I needed to throw," said Brown, the reigning Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year. "It was definitely a relief (when NSU scored five runs in one inning), and that helped me relax a lot.

"I felt good going the distance in my first start of the season."

Brown got help from her defense all day, particularly in the sixth inning. DePaul put two runners on with no outs, but sophomore shortstop Hailee Rhodes raced to catch a blooper before firing to first base for a double play.

DePaul's Ellie Forkin drove in a run in the next at-bat, but the double play limited Forkin's single to one RBI.

NSU coach Donald Pickett said patience from hitters and pitchers aided the season-opening win.

"We had runners on every inning, but we just couldn't get that hit early," Pickett said.  "We were running (Maize) deep into counts early, and once our kids got to see her for the third time, we took advantage of some balls that maybe were over the plate.

"I thought (Brown) did a great job of getting out of jams, and she got strikeouts when she needed them. DePaul is a quality opponent and a program with a lot history, and we did a really good job today."