NATCHITOCHES – Both Northwestern State and Louisiana Tech flooded the base paths Wednesday, but the Lady Techsters were more efficient in bringing runners home as the Lady Demons fell 9-4 in the final non-conference game of the season.
Each team placed 17 runners on base in the seven-inning affair, but the manner in which they reached affected the total runs scored.
Tech (31-18) pounded out 14 hits to NSU's four. But the Lady Demons (24-20) drew seven walks and were hit by four pitches. The Techsters also committed two errors to NSU's one.
But Tech's hits drove in runs, and the visitors broke open a 2-2 game with five runs in the fifth inning and another two runs in the sixth.
NSU starter E.C. Delafield (3-4) danced around trouble in the first four innings, but the Lady Techsters produced six hits in the pivotal fifth inning.
Four of those hits were doubles as Sloane Stewartson (2-for-4, 3 RBIs), Jazlyn Crowder (2-for-4, 3 RBIs) and Bayli Simon (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) plated a combined four runs with their three doubles.
Delafield, who finished with six earned runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings, gave way to Bizette after Stewartson's double with NSU trailing 5-2.
Bizette gave up the last two doubles, and a Crowder 2-RBI single in the sixth inning put Tech up 9-2. Bizette, who was making her first appearance since Feb. 24 at Texas Tech, allowed three runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings.
NSU attempted to mount a comeback by scoring two runs in the sixth inning. After a Cayla Jones walk, an error and a Kaitlyn St. Clair hit-by-pitch, the Lady Demons scored a run each on a Sidney Harris ground out and an Emma Hawthorne RBI-walk to slice Tech's lead to 9-4.
But the Lady Demons left the bases loaded for the third time in the game, not able to find the hit to drive in multiple runs.
After Tech's Simon hit a solo home run in the second inning, NSU's Rawls responded with a solo shot of her own to lead off the bottom of the second. It's Rawls' eighth of the season.
Stewartson put Tech up 2-1 with a ground out RBI, which NSU's Hawthorne matched in the bottom of the third inning.
Hawthorne finished with two RBIs, her eighth multi-RBI game of the season.
Tech's starter Bailey Allen lasted three innings in the no-decision, but the Lady Techsters turned to their weekend pitchers because they don't play a conference series this weekend.
Krystal De La Cruz (4-8) picked up the win with two runs (none earned) on four walks and two hit-by-pitches.
Ace Preslee Gallaway pitched a scoreless seventh inning in relief.
Tech swept the season series for the first time since 2013. Louisiana Tech won the opener in Ruston, 9-7, in late March. NSU has still won six of the last 10 in the series after Wednesday's loss.
The Lady Demons' losing streak extends to a season-high eight games with a crucial series against Houston Baptist at home. The three-game series starts Friday at 5 p.m. with a Saturday doubleheader at noon.
Five of those losses have come at home after NSU started the season 15-1 at Lady Demon Diamond.
