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NATCHITOCHES – Freshman Cayla Jones smashed two home runs to lead Northwestern State to one win Saturday, but McNeese won the series as the Cowgirls leapt to an early lead in the finale.

Jones' first career grand slam broke a tie in the sixth inning to lift NSU to a 6-2 win.

With the series tied 1-1 after McNeese won Friday night's game, the Cowgirls scored three first-inning runs en route to a 5-1 Lady Demons' loss.

"It was good to come out and get the first one today, but we played from behind all weekend long," said NSU coach Donald Pickett. "We dug ourselves into a hole in the third game, and it caught up to us.

"We used so much to play from behind, and we couldn't get anything going on offense."

NSU (21-11, 9-3 Southland Conference) lost its first conference series of the season and falls into a tie for first place with Nicholls (23-10, 9-3). The Lady Demons head to Stephen F. Austin on Wednesday (non-conference game) before traveling to Incarnate Word for a three-game series.

McNeese (24-12, 7-5 SLC) moved into a tie for fourth place in the league.

NSU 6, McNeese 2

Jones is the first NSU player to hit two home runs in a game since Kellye Kincannon on March 15, 2017.

Her solo home run in the first inning handed NSU a 1-0 lead, and the Lady Demons didn't score another run until the fifth inning. 

Jones has nine home runs this season, the most for an NSU freshman since Kincannon hit 12 in 2014.

By that time, McNeese scored two fourth-inning runs on a Lauren Brown sacrifice fly and an Alexandria Saldivar RBI single.

It's all the Cowgirls mustered against NSU junior pitcher Mikayla Brown (8-2), who held McNeese to four hits with four walks and three hit-by-pitches.

Brown stranded eight McNeese runners, including four in scoring position.

The Lady Demons got to starter Caroline Settle in the fifth inning when a Sidney Harris RBI-single plated Madelyn Matt to tie the score, 2-2. Harris reached base in all four plate appearances with a single, two walks and a hit-by-pitch.

That set the table for Jones' grand slam, NSU's fourth of the season. McNeese recorded the first two outs of the inning before Toni Hebert and Sidney Salmans singled and pinch hitter Kaitlyn St. Clair walked.

Jones hit the home run off Alexsandra Flores, who was pitching to her first batter of the game as a reliever. Flores was the winning pitcher in both of McNeese's wins this series.

"When I hit the grand slam, all I thought about was that I got that chance," Jones said, referencing Friday night's loss in which she was in the on-deck circle when the game ended with a runner on. "I figured I would have another chance, and I knew I had to make the most of it.

"I just tried to breathe and trust my abilities."

Jones finished 4-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored. The five RBIs is a career high and is the second game of at least 4 RBIs for Jones this season.

McNeese 5, NSU 1

The Cowgirls struck for three first-inning runs and led throughout in the finale win.

Erika Piancastelli hit a two-run home run before Shanice Hagler plated a third run with a single.

Piancastelli led the McNeese offense with two hits and three RBIs as the Cowgirls totaled 12 hits.

NSU pitcher Micaela Bouvier (10-5) lasted one inning in the loss.

Reliever E.C Delefield pitched four consecutive scoreless innings to keep NSU close, but McNeese tacked on two runs in the sixth inning for a 5-1 lead.

The freshman scattered nine hits and three walks with the two earned runs.

"We needed a little better start today, but (Delafield) did a good job of holding them down," Pickett said. "She got a little fatigued at the end, but (Mikayla Brown) threw the last inning and kept them where they were.

"In a game three situation against a good team, you know you're going to have to score some runs. We have to adjust offensively, and we kept getting out the same ways."

NSU's lone run came in the fifth inning when Emma Hawthorne scored on an error after leading off with a double.

Her run closed the McNeese lead to 3-1, but starter Alexsandra Flores (11-5) held NSU to just three hits and the one unearned run.