NATCHITOCHES -- Fat Tuesday isn't a holiday known for fireworks, but Northwestern State and No. 10 LSU had a lot of pop in their bats Tuesday at Lady Demon Diamond to celebrate the end of a festive season.
The Tigers pulled away for a 10-3 win, but the Lady Demons pushed the capacity crowd into a frenzy by tying the score in the fourth inning.
Freshman Alexis Perry smacked a solo home run to tie the game at 2-2, her third of the season, as part of a 2-for-3 effort with two RBIs.
"It was such a good feeling," Perry said. "I knew the exact pitch I was looking for, I knew I was going to get it that first pitch, and so I went all in and the pitch came in exactly where I thought.
"Having that crowd behind you is an awesome feeling. It was great to come out with this energy today, and we came out and played our game regardless of the result."
LSU's powerful offense hit four home runs, including an Elyse Thornhill grand slam in the fifth inning that broke the tie and catapulted the Tigers (19-4) to a 6-2 edge.
NSU (8-12) starter Bronte Rhoden, whom Cox Sports Television play-by-play announcer Lyn Rollins dubbed "combative" in the circle with the way she battled, danced around LSU base runners in the early innings to keep LSU within reach.
Rhoden worked around a double and a walk in the first inning before surrendering a two-out solo home run to Shemiah Sanchez for a 1-0 LSU lead.
The Lady Demons returned fire when a Riley Cantrell sacrifice fly was caught in a collision with the wall by LSU centerfielder Aliyah Andrews. Two runners were in scoring position, and Rhoden (walked) scored to tie the game, 1-1.
Cantrell joined Perry with multiple hits after a 2-for-3 day.
Rhoden (4-2) sidestepped a Shelbi Sunseri double and an Amanda Doyle (3-for-4, three RBIs) single by recording two outs with two runners on base in the third inning.
Sanchez hit her second home run, another solo shot, in the fourth inning to give LSU a 2-1 edge.
But Perry responded with her home run and team-high tying 15th RBI of the season.
"I felt good about us bouncing back, and we kept answering the bell," said NSU coach Donald Pickett. "I was really proud of the way we came out after a tough weekend (at Arkansas), and the kids bought in and committed to what we were talking about.
"It was an electric atmosphere, and we could feel the crowd behind us. You could hear the roars when we were scoring and kept coming back. It's really important for us to have the town come out and show their support (755 attendance), and we loved playing in that environment."
Rhoden couldn't squirm out of fifth-inning trouble after a single and a walk chased her with one out.
NSU reliever Samantha Guile loaded the bases with a walk before Thornhill's grand slam. Rhoden finished with four runs on seven hits and two walks. Guile allowed three runs on three hits and three walks in one inning.
 "(LSU's Thornhill) got the big hit, and that one pitch kind of changed the game," Pickett said. "LSU is a great team, and we knew we'd have to keep the ball in the park tonight to win, and we didn't.
"But we still kept coming back by putting runners on base throughout the late innings. We had good at-bats up and down the order."
After chasing LSU starter Ali Kilponen (two runs on three hits in 3 2/3 innings), the Lady Demons loaded the bases on reliever Sunseri in the fifth inning.
Hayley Barbazon (single), Cayla Jones (walked) and Perry singled to load the bases with two outs, but a well-struck Rhoden fly ball was caught in left field.
Sunseri (5-3) picked up the win with one run in 3 1/3 innings. Kilponen and
LSU scored four runs, including a Doyle three-run home run in the seventh inning, in the final two innings.
Perry tacked on a seventh-inning sacrifice fly RBI to score Kaitlyn St. Clair, who singled.
NSU left two runners on in each of the final two innings, stranding 10 runners.
LSU outhit NSU 13-8 as the Tigers also stranded 10 runners.
The Lady Demons start Southland Conference play Friday with a doubleheader at Sam Houston State to start a three-game series.
