NATCHITOCHES – Freshman power hitting and determined pitching were main features of Northwestern State's doubleheader sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday in the Lady Demons' home openers.

The Lady Demons (4-6) recorded their first home runs of the season – all by freshmen – as NSU snatched wins of 5-1 and 6-0 against the Knights (0-6).

Freshman Maggie Black homered in the first game before Alexis Perry and Riley Cantrell sent bombs over the Lady Demon Diamond wall in the nightcap.

Starting pitchers Samantha Guile (1-3) and Bronte Rhoden (3-0) each picked up wins as both pitchers took their first victories in a starting role.

The pitchers worked around six combined NSU errors, and coach Donald Pickett credited their stability to the wins.

"I thought that's the reason we won the games, and they set the tone despite us not playing one of our best defensive games of the year," Pickett said. "We've got to do a better job of fixing those things, but Samantha and Bronte really did a great job.

"Mikayla Brown came in and did a great job in the seventh inning of the first game to shut down FDU despite some runners on base."

The Lady Demons continue the home stand this weekend at the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission Lady Demon Classic.

NSU 5, FDU 1

Black recorded the first hit, the first RBIs and the first home run of her career as she sparked the win with a 2-RBI performance.

The Grapevine, Texas, native had an RBI in the second inning before her solo home run put NSU up 2-0 in the fourth inning.

Black credits hitting coach Amanda Locke changing her stance for the breakout performance Wednesday.

"I've been working with a new stance, I changed it two days ago," Black said. "I was really confident, and I was staying in my legs, and I saw the pitch I wanted and went for it.

"Coach Locke is a wizard of hitting, and she's boosted me up."

The offense was more than enough for Guile, who allowed one unearned run on four hits with a career-high seven strikeouts.

Guile allowed two of her hits in the first six innings before FDU recorded two hits in the seventh to bring in Brown for the finish.

But Guile and Brown stranded nine Knights on the bases to hold off a late FDU push.

NSU scored its other two runs in the fifth inning on an Emma Hawthorne RBI single and a Cantrell sacrifice fly RBI for the 5-0 edge.

NSU 6, FDU 0

Rhoden tossed her first complete-game shutout in the second half of the doubleheader as NSU provided plenty of offense and pitching.

Rhoden was working a one-hitter heading into the final inning but ended with two hits, four walks and two strikeouts.

"My infield and outfield were amazing tonight, and they kept me in it," Rhoden said. "I have to give it up to my pitching coach (Brooke Boening) and my catcher (Alexis Perry) tonight, too.

"It was really fun to play in our home stadium, and it was a little nerve racking. But Sammie and I did what we did, and it was really positive tonight."

Fellow freshman Riley Cantrell had a career day, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs. Cantrell finished the doubleheader with four hits and five RBIs.

Her two-run home run in the third inning gave NSU more than enough cushion with a 5-0 lead.

Perry provided the initial spark as she blasted a three-run home run that bounced over the left-center wall.

Her homer came after Cantrell singled and Hawthorne doubled.

Cantrell floated an RBI single into the outfield for NSU's final run.