NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Northwestern State pitching staff was effective for the first two outs Friday in each inning of a doubleheader at Stephen F. Austin.

But the Ladyjacks delivered all 11 of their runs with two outs as SFA swept the doubleheader 6-3 and 5-1.

NSU (24-23, 13-10 Southland Conference) is in seventh place in the SLC standings as the Lady Demons will attempt to take the finale Saturday at noon.

SFA (32-17, 16-7 SLC) could finish the day as high as third with other teams around the league playing game late Friday.

The Lady Demons are still in the hunt for a top-four seed and a bye in the Southland Conference Tournament, which will be held in Natchitoches from May 7-10.

SFA 6, NSU 3

Junior Emma Hawthorne pumped energy into the NSU dugout with her first home run of the season, but Stephen F. Austin took over in the latter innings to hand the Lady Demons a 6-3 loss.

After Hawthorne awarded the Lady Demons a 2-1 edge in the fourth inning, the Ladyjacks scored three fifth-inning runs and two more in the sixth to take the series opener.

Senior Margarita Corona went 4-for-4 with two of those hits and all three RBIs serving as cornerstones in SFA's key offensive innings.

After a walk and error in the fifth inning, Corona drove in two runs with a double followed by a Mackenzie Bennett RBI double to snatch a 4-2 lead with three unearned runs.

NSU starter E.C. Delafield battled back from a bases-loaded threat later in the frame.

But Corona singled in another run in the sixth inning after a walk and a fielder's choice placed two runners on base. Delafield walked another to load the bases before Alex Hedspeth was hit by a pitch to for the 6-2 advantage.

All six of SFA's runs were scored with two outs.

Delafield (8-3) was effective in the first four innings with one run allowed, but she finished with six runs (three earned) on eight hits, three walks and two hit batters. The sophomore suffered just her second loss in Southland Conference play, dropping her mark to 6-2.

SFA counterpart Kassidy Wilbur (18-11) struck out 10 batters while allowing three runs on seven hits with four walks.

Wilbur's strikeouts came at crucial times as seven strikeouts came with NSU runners in scoring position. Five of eight stranded Lady Demons were left in scoring position.

NSU threatened in the seventh inning as Elise Vincent and Cayla Jones led off with a walk and a double.

After Vincent scored on a wild pitch, Wilbur didn't allow another runner to advance.

SFA grabbed an early lead with a Hedspeth RBI single in the first inning.

NSU responded with Hawthorne's two-run home run after Alexis Perry singled, scoring pinch runner Kayla Roquemore.

Hawthorne went 2-for-2 at the plate as the designated player.

SFA 5, NSU 1

SFA continued its trend of scoring two-out runs en route to a 5-1 win to take the second game of the doubleheader Friday.

All five Ladyjacks runs came with two outs, including a pair of Mackenzie Bennett home runs.

Bennett homered in the first inning for a 2-0 edge and smacked a solo shot in third inning to stretch SFA's lead to 4-0. The freshman drove in three runs.
SFA's Bryana Novegil sandwiched a third-inning RBI single for the Ladyjacks' third run.

After a walk and an Alex Hedspeth (3-for-3) single with two outs in the fifth inning, Lindsay Gregory tacked on an RBI single in the fifth inning.

NSU starter Samantha Guile (8-10) took the loss with five runs allowed on 10 hits and one walk in 4 2-3 innings.

Emma Hawthorne continued her hot streak with an RBI double in the sixth inning to put the Lady Demons on the board, trailing 5-1.

Hawthorne extended her hitting streak to seven games with three hits and all three NSU RBIs in the doubleheader.

SFA pitcher Ashley Kriesel (12-6) scattered five hits and four free passes with one run allowed.

Kriesel stranded a pair of runners in the second and the fifth innings, and a double play in the third inning also derailed an NSU inning in which two runners reached base.

Junior Elise Vincent tallied two of NSU's five hits.

Freshman pitcher Bronte Rhoden combined for 1 2-3 scoreless relief innings in the doubleheader. All but one out occurred in the second game. Rhoden stranded a total of five SFA runners in her outings.