NATCHITOCHES — Perhaps it's senior outfielder Hayley Barbazon with a boxing belt draped over her shoulder after a solid night. Maybe it's freshman second baseman Taylor Williams, filling in sizable shoes and coming up with a big hit. It could be the starting-pitching duo of Jensen Howell and E.C. Delafield who boasted a pair of strong outings.
Whatever the storyline is, the Lady Demons showcased they can win with many different contributors Friday night against Houston Baptist. NSU swept a doubleheader, claiming 2-1 and 5-1 victories at the Lady Demon Diamond.
"I'm proud of them coming out and getting both wins," head coach Donald Pickett said. "We played a little sloppy at times, but I was really proud of them grinding it out. We are not going to be perfect. But they were able to not get down on it, and were able to keep playing and pull those games out."
The victories improve Northwestern State to 14-7 overall and 8-0 in Southland Conference play. The losses drop Houston Baptist to 9-8 overall and 2-6 in league action.
The Lady Demons won their eighth game in a row on the backs of two stout pitching performances. Howell went the distance in Game 1 and Delafield tossed a complete game in the nightcap.
Both Howell and Delafield didn't have their best stuff at times but were able to maneuver around that to move to 5-3 and 5-1, respectively.
"Pitching really did a great job for us," Pickett said. "Maybe they weren't as sharp as they'd like to be. It really says a lot about them — mentally how tough they are in that circle to be able to go grind it out and get those wins when they know they can be sharper."
Northwestern State concludes its series against Houston Baptist on Saturday at 12 p.m.
NSU 2, HBU 1
Howell had the good outing, but Williams had the big hit. The freshman is filling in for junior Cayla Jones, who's out with an injury, and Williams laid claim to the first run in a game Friday when runs were few and far between.
She recorded a double that scored Barbazon in the bottom of the third inning. Williams then came around to score on an RBI single from Delafield.
"It's not easy coming in as freshman. It can nerve racking," Barbazon said. "But I think (Williams) has come in a done a really good job. That's a big place to step into, and she's killing it. She's taking it day by day and doing a great job. We appreciate having her out there."
Those two runs were all Howell needed. She finished allowing just three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
NSU 5, HBU 1
Barbazon earned the belt in Game 2 by way of registering three hits. And she wasn't the only one in the three-hit club, as freshman infielder Kat Marshall also had a trio of base knocks.
Marshall also boasted the loudest hit of the evening for NSU. She recorded a two-run triple in the bottom of the third, which gave the game its final tally.
Sophomore catcher Alexis Perry knocked home the first run of Game 2 on an RBI ground out. Delafield had the other RBI, pushing home a run after working a bases-loaded walk.
In the circle, Delafield backed up her no-hitter last weekend at Incarnate Word with another applaud-worthy performance Friday. She scattered six hits and struck out four with two walks.
