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MONROE – Northwestern State put runners in scoring position in each game of its season-opening doubleheader Friday at the ULM Mardi Gras Classic.

After not producing in the clutch in a 4-1 loss to Southern Illinois Edwardsville, the Lady Demons drove in those runs as NSU ran past Grambling in a 13-1, five-inning win.

Coach Donald Pickett welcomed the second-game improvement, but he added the entire lineup must be productive with runners on board.

"We can't be up there swinging and being individuals at the plate," Pickett said. "We've got to stay center of the field and try to hit line drives up the middle and score those runners when we get them on.

"We can't be too anxious and try to do too much up there. I think our girls were probably too jacked up being the first game of the year. We had some really good hitters at the plate several times with runners on, and we couldn't cash in. I don't think that's going to be a consistent thing because those runners have produced in the past. We did a better job against Grambling."

The Lady Demons (1-1) play Saturday with tournament action beginning against Prairie View A&M at 9 a.m. and a nonconference tilt against Sam Houston State at 11 a.m. NSU wraps up the Mardi Gras Classic on Sunday with the finale against host ULM at noon.

NSU 13, Grambling 1 (5)

The Lady Demons scored in all five innings, creating separation with a five-run, second inning for its first win of the season.

After freshman and Natchitoches native Madelyn Matt drew a bases-loaded walk for a 2-1 edge, junior Sidney Salmans had a bases-clearing single aided by two of GSU's three errors in the game.

Salmans' single scored junior Hailee Rhodes and senior Jordan Rains before errors brought in Matt and Salmans for a 6-1 edge.

NSU built its lead to 9-1 in the third inning with RBIs from Rhodes, Matt and Salmans.

Freshman Julie Rawls drove in a fourth-inning run before the Lady Demons piled on three more in the fifth inning.

Freshman Adele Vincent plated two runs with a triple, her third hit of the doubleheader. Freshman Sidney Harris recorded the final run with a sacrifice fly.

Freshmen scored eight of NSU's 13 runs and plated six of the team's eight RBIs in the win. Adele Vincent (1-for-2, three RBIs, one run scored), Rawls (1-for-1, two runs scored, one RBI), Toni Hebert (1-for-1, two runs scored) and Matt (two runs scored) produced multiple runs or RBIs.

Salmans (1-for-2, two runs scored) and Rains (two runs scored) were upperclassmen who had multiple runs or RBIs. NSU combined for seven hits, seven walks and two hit-by-pitches.

NSU also stole two bases before Grambling allowed multiple other runners to take bases without challenging.

"We've got kids with a lot of talent to go along with their speed and power, and they are fighting for spots right now," Pickett said. "I'm really happy that we had good plays from people like Adele Vincent at third base. Emma Hawthorne behind the plate did a pretty good job along with some others.

"With the experience we have along with our young talent, it should make us a better and deeper team."

Three pitchers combined to hold Grambling to one run.

Sophomore Katelyn Boles pitched the first two innings, allowing one hit and one run while striking out two. Grambling's McKenzie Johnson scored on a Kendalyn Arceneaux ground out for the Tigers only run.

Freshman Hayley Barbazon (1-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings in which she allowed two hits and struck out two.

Senior Brittney Jones logged her first collegiate pitching inning with a scoreless fifth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.

In total, 18 different players saw action on the opening day, and eight different players recorded at least one hit and a run or an RBI.

SIUE 4, NSU 1

The Lady Demons stranded eight runners, five in scoring position, as they combined to go 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

NSU stranded runners in scoring position in four different innings as SIUE pitcher Haley Chambers-Book scattered seven hits and a walk with the help of 11 strikeouts.

The Cougars struck for runs in the first and second innings against redshirt sophomore Mikayla Brown, who pitched for the first time in nearly a year after tearing her ACL in the first weekend of the 2016 season.

SIUE's Alyssa Heren scored on a Tess Eby sacrifice fly in the first inning. Sarah Lopesilvero singled in Allison Smiley for a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
Heren and Smiley reached base on a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively.

Brown recovered to throw six innings with just five hits allowed, allowing four runs with two walks and one strikeout.

"I was proud of Brown. I think she was nervous a little in her first game back early with us behind, but she settled in." Pickett said. "She really pitched good enough for us to win, and she started getting tired toward the end and gave up a couple of balls.

"But that will improve as her stamina gets stronger."

SIUE added runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 4-0 edge before NSU struck in the seventh for one run.

Cougar freshman Zoe Schafer hit a ball over the fence with one runner on in the fifth inning, but Schafer passed up Talisa Morton on the basepaths and was called out. Morton's run still counted.

Kalei Kanishiro's home run did count in the sixth inning, plating one run with the solo shot.

NSU's Rawls pinch hit and recorded a sacrifice fly for the Lady Demons' lone run.

Salmans, Hawthorne and Adele Vincent each recorded two hits, combining for six of NSU's seven hits in the No. 1, No. 6 and No. 9 holes.