Box Score SAN MARCOS, TEXAS -- Senior
Natalie Landry provided early offense in Northwestern State softball's win against Oklahoma State on Friday night, but she waited until the final hour to give the Lady Demons a boost Saturday night.
Landry broke a tie with a two-run home run in the seventh inning to lift NSU to a 4-2 win against Abilene Christian, boosting the Lady Demons' record to 4-0 to start the season at Texas State's CenturyLink Classic.
ACU pitcher Hannah Null (0-2) kept NSU off the base paths for the first four innings with effective offspeed pitches, but Landry said the Lady Demons adjusted in the latter innings.
"I knew I had a runner on third, and (Null) had been jamming me in," said Landry, who has three home runs in her first four games. "I just had to free my hands up and get the ball out there so we could tag up. I didn't think it would go that far, but it did.
"It was tough to adjust because we have fast hands and we love fast pitchers. When we see something slower -- she gave us her change-up drop ball -- that's just not something we're used to."
NSU's 4-0 start is its best since 1991 when the Lady Demons got off to a 6-0 start.
Junior
Brittney Jones (2-for-3) led off the seventh inning with a double, joining junior
Micayla Sorosiak (2-for-3) as the only NSU players with multiple hits.
Sorosiak drove in NSU's first run in the fifth inning, a double that scored Jones, to answer Abilene Christian's solo home run (Peyton Hedrick) in the bottom of the fourth.
NSU sophomore
Hailee Rhodes sacrifice flied in
Jordan Rains to grab a 2-1 lead before ACU's Donelle Johnson solo homered in the sixth to re-tie the score at 2-2.
But NSU junior pitcher
Micaela Bouvier (2-0) scattered ACU's two other hits (four total) to earn her second win of the season.
Bouvier struck out seven batters in a complete game (her second of the season), allowing two runs while not walking a batter.
"Things like those home runs happen, and I knew I just had to throw my pitches, move my ball and spin it," Bouvier said. "I have a great defense and hitters, and I know they would get those back for me.
"We're continuing to increase our confidence, and getting these four wins has our confidence at an all-time high right now."
NSU has defeated DePaul (1-3), Oklahoma State (1-2), Texas State (3-1) and Abilene Christian (0-3) to begin the season.
The Lady Demons play one more game in Texas State's tournament -- a rematch against DePaul on Sunday at 10 a.m.
NSU coach Donald PIckett lauded the Lady Demons' team effort as different players have contributed in different games in different games.
"It starts with Bouvier in the circle, and she did a good job with an ACU team that has all-conference players," Pickett said. "
Sidney Salmans got a big bunt down, Rhodes got a sacrifice fly, and then Jones, Sorosiak and Landry had big hits.
"(Catcher
Kaytie Proctor and third baseman
Jordan Rains) had nice at-bats. Quality at-bats is the key, and if we can keep doing that and not get wrapped up in results, good things will happen for us."
