NATCHITOCHES — The Northwestern State softball team has experienced a tremendous amount of success during the first third of Southland Conference play this season. The Lady Demons had received stellar pitching performance and scored early and often to build an unblemished league record.
Central Arkansas used that same formula to take a doubleheader from NSU on Friday night. The Bears downed the Lady Demons 3-1 and 4-0 at the Lady Demon Diamond.
The results push Northwestern State's record to 15-10 overall and 9-2 in conference play. Central Arkansas improves to 21-10 overall and 9-2 in league.
"Ultimately, they outplayed us today," head coach Donald Pickett said. "I think they got two good pitchers, and they threw great games against us today. We will have to make some adjustments and have some better at-bats than what we had today. We didn't really give ourselves a chance offensively, and a lot of that had to do with what they were doing."
The Lady Demons only managed seven hits on the day, but one of those was a significant one. Senior outfielder Kaitlyn St. Clair launched a solo home run — her team-leading fourth of the season — in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 1.
NSU also received a couple good outings in the circle, however, it took both pitchers a couple innings to settle in. Junior Jensen Howell tossed the opener, and junior E.C. Delafield twirled the nightcap.
Howell went all seven, yielding three earned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts. Delafield also went the distance, surrendering four earned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts.
"Both games, UCA came out and attacked and was the more aggressive team," Pickett said. "We got to be better than that, and we talked about coming out early in games. That's something, when you're playing a good team, you better come out ready to play from the first pitch."
Pickett is assured his team can do just that in the series finale Saturday at 12 p.m.
"I'm confident in our team," Pickett said. "They got to get it right between their ears and come out here and do that and have the right approach to have a chance to win the game."
UCA 3, NSU 1
Central Arkansas' Jenna Wildeman represented the very first runner of the game, and she set the tone. She singled, stole second and came home to score on an RBI single. It represented the first time this season that the Lady Demons trailed in Southland Conference play.
Kristen Whitehouse hit a solo home run in the second, and Central Arkansas added one more run in the third.
Delafield recorded a single and a double, but was stranded both times. Sophomore catcher Alexis Perry had the other hit — immediately following St. Clair's home run — but was retired on a double play, thereafter.
UCA 4, NSU 0
Delafield and Perry remained in good from with the bat — registering one hit apiece — while freshman infielder Kat Marshall laced a double to left. But there wasn't enough consistency, offensively for any of the hits to result in runs.
"We can't get any consistency going if we can't put any at-bats together," Pickett said. "I don't think put a lot of at-bats together today, obviously."
Cylla Hill staked the Bears to the early advantage on a two-run home run in the first frame. Mary Kate Brown had a home run of her own in the sixth, and Central Arkansas added one more insurance run in the seventh.
