NATCHITOCHES -- Northwestern State has built momentum in recent midweek contests which has spurred positive results in the weekend, and the Lady Demons will hope that trend holds Wednesday when they host Grambling at 6 p.m.
 
NSU (23-21) has won its last two midweek contests on the road when the Lady Demons topped Grambling (7-3 on March 26) and Louisiana Tech (April 10).
 
The previous Grambling win required a comeback in which NSU erased a 3-2 deficit in the sixth inning to push past the Lady Tigers.
 
"Grambling has a really good lineup and scored some runs up there," said NSU coach Donald Pickett. "We have to come out ready to play.
 
"We've had some pretty good practices so far this week. We need to get back on track, and we hope playing at home helps. We've got to come out here and try to jump on them early and push that issue going into the weekend."
 
NSU piled up a season-high 13 hits in the win, including a 3-for-3 day from Kaitlyn St. Clair.
 
"It'll be really good to get back home, where we play pretty well," St. Clair said. "We need that momentum to bring us into the (Stephen F. Austin) weekend -- that'll be good for us."
 
Junior pitcher Samantha Guile certainly built momentum as the Bossier City native has five of her eight wins dating back to that March 26 decision at Grambling.
 
Guile (8-9) slithered out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam to help facilitate the comeback in which NSU scored five runs in the sixth inning.
 
NSU will attempt to rebound from a disappointing series at Lamar this past weekend in which the Lady Demons dropped two of three games.
 
Previous midweek wins have boosted NSU into successful weekend play. After beating Grambling (16-22) and Louisiana Tech this season, the Lady Demons went on to sweep series against Southeastern and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
 
With just two Southland Conference series left, NSU (13-8 SLC) is in a tie for sixth with Lamar (22-27, 13-8) with the Cardinals holding the series tiebreaker.
 
The Lady Demons finish at fourth-place SFA (29-17, 14-7) and at home against eighth-place Central Arkansas.
 
NSU is one SLC win or a conference loss by Houston Baptist (19-20, 7-14 SLC) from clinching a league tournament berth. The Lady Demons are the tournament hosts this season, and tickets are on sale for the May 7-10 event.