SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The Northwestern State softball team rounded into form this past weekend at Nicholls. The Lady Demons swept the Colonels, outscoring them 22-4, and will look to harness that momentum into this weekend's three-game set at Incarnate Word.

"It was big for us to come out and play the way we did — to start the games — and that momentum just carried over and built the entire weekend," head coach Donald Pickett said. "We were able to get good pitching performances and got some good timely hits with some runners on base and were able to open those games up."

The three-game series between NSU and UIW will commence Friday at H-E-B Field with a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. The series concludes Saturday with a single game at 12 p.m. 

The Lady Demons boast a 9-7 overall record to go alongside its unblemished 3-0 mark in Southland Conference play. The Cardinals own a 2-11 overall record and an 0-3 mark in league action. 

NSU's sweep of Nicholls represented the first such sweep in Thibodaux for the Lady Demons since 2002. There were few chinks in the Lady Demons' armor, as they received production up and down the lineup and in the circle. 

"I think it's a big confidence boost for our team," Pickett said. "It shows them what we can be when we approach the game the right way, and I'm hoping we can continue to do that."

Junior second baseman Cayla Jones approached her plate appearance with the utmost care. She registered six hits, one being a home run, and three RBIs. Sophomore catcher Alexis Perry, who leads the team with 13 RBIs, also had a homer and wasn't far behind with five hits of her own. 

"It was really good to see them step up in big situations and help us out this weekend," Pickett said. "Hopefully they continue to build off what they've done this weekend because we need them to work for us to be the team we want to be."

Senior outfielder Kaitlyn St. Clair leads the Lady Demons in 2021 with a .355 batting average and a pair of homers. Fellow senior outfielder Elise Vincent owns a .333 batting average, while junior E.C. Delafield and Jones boast .324 and .313 batting averages, respectively. 

Delafield has also gotten in done in the circle. He complete-game, two-hit shutout Saturday moved her to 2-1 on the season. She possesses a team-best 2.55 ERA.

Junior Jensen Howell and sophomore Bronte Rhoden round out the staff, and both record wins in Thibodaux. Rhoden improved to 2-2 on the season with a 3.34 ERA, and Howell moved to 4-3 with a 5.02 ERA. 

Maddie Boldt and Tori Alvarez-Lopez pace the Cardinals with .273 and .229 batting averages, respectively. Annie Gunther represents UIW's best arm after she's logged a 1-3 record with a 3.36 ERA. 

NSU and UIW last met in 2018 in San Antonio when the Lady Demons took two of three. NSU is 10-5 all-time against the Cardinals. 

The trip to San Antonio will constitutes NSU's longest of the season. And that brings with it a level of difficulty. 

"That's a different challenge, but our kids are mature enough to handle that and come out and be ready to play," Pickett said. "When we start the game, we got to be ready to go, and hopefully we'll continue to do that from the first pitch to the last."

Following the series against the Cardinals, Northwestern State will return to Natchitoches for its first Southland Conference home series of the season. The Lady Demons play host to Houston Baptist on March 26-27 at the Lady Demon Diamond.