NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State softball team picked up two more wins Friday to start the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission's Lady Demon Classic with a 4-0 mark.
The Lady Demons (6-3) handled Jackson State 9-0 and held off Stephen F. Austin for a 6-5 win.
With the two victories, coach
Donald Pickett became the winningest coach in NSU softball history with 247 victories, passing Rickey McAlister's benchmark of 245.
"It's all about the families and the kids we have in our program," Pickett said. "From the first year of going 5-45 to going to back-to-back NCAA Regionals (2013, 2014) and three Southland Conference championships (two tournament, one regular season).
"Those families and those kids that we have and have had make it all possible. They do a lot for this program, and we're so grateful for it. I love being around these kinds of people who are selfless, and that's what we're all about. Glad I've stayed around long enough to do it, and we love Natchitoches and NSU."
NSU (6-3) has won six straight games dating back to the doubleheader win at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday.
The Lady Demons are scheduled to play Jackson State at 3 p.m. Saturday after Memphis vs. Stephen F. Austin (10 a.m.) and Jackson State vs. Stephen F. Austin (12:30 p.m.).
NSU 6, Stephen F. Austin 5
When SFA's Taylor Fraccastoro smacked a bases-loaded double to score three runs in the fourth inning, NSU calmly had an answer.
The Lady Demons methodically responded with four runs to regain the lead at 5-3 and held on for the win despite a late Ladyjacks push.
NSU's Julie Rawls (2-for-3), Madelyn Matt,
Sidney Salmans (3-for-4) and Cayla Jones (2 RBIs) strung together RBI hits as the Lady Demons chipped away at SFA's brief lead. A key SFA error to start the inning allowed a two-out surge with all four runs being unearned. Just one of NSU's six runs was earned as SFA committed four errors to NSU's three mistakes.
Jones' sacrifice fly in the third inning allowed NSU to take an early lead.
"It's really exciting because I am a freshman, and I do have to prove a lot," said Jones, who has six RBIs in four tournament games and leads the team with nine. "I trust my ability and I practice really hard, I just have to do it on the field.
"Natchitoches definitely feels like home, and it feels better when you have so many fans that love you and care about you."
Kaylee Isenburg padded NSU's edge to 6-3 with a groundout RBI, but the Ladyjacks (4-4) had one more surge left.
Madison Selman homered off reliever
Micaela Bouvier before Fraccastoro (2-for-4, 4 RBIs) doubled in another run to close to 6-5 in the sixth inning.
But like NSU had done all night, it got out of the jam. Bouvier recorded two outs in the sixth and worked around a walk in the seventh inning for her first save this season.
Starter
Mikayla Brown (3-1) picked up the win with three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks.
Brown stranded the bases loaded in the second inning as SFA left nine runners aboard.
NSU pitchers worked around six walks and two hit-by-pitches.
NSU 9, Jackson State 0 (5)
Pitchers E.C. Delafield and Ryann Bizette combined on the Lady Demons first shutout of the season in NSU's first win Friday.
Delafield, who surrendered two hits in the first inning and stranded two runners in scoring position, settled down to allow three hits with seven strikeouts in four innings.
Bizette pitched a perfect fifth inning.
Needing just one run in the fifth inning to complete the win, freshman Codi Vernace launched a two-run home run for her first collegiate hit to walk off JSU.
Fellow freshman Elyssa Hernandez scored after collecting her first collegiate statistic with a walk.
NSU scored three runs in each the first and second innings to put away a Jackson State (0-2) squad who scrapped with Memphis early in an 11-0 loss.
Sophomore Kaitlyn St. Clair produced a two-RBI single and two-RBI double in the first two innings as cornerstones in those frames. St. Clair has 7 RBIs this season, two short of leader Cayla Jones (9).
JSU pitcher Symone Williams took the loss (0-1) with nine earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.
