Box Score YOUNGSVILLE – Northwestern State scored its most runs in a game this season but a rare off day for the pitching staff ended in a 9-7 loss to Portland State on the final day of the 2022 Mardi Gras Mambo.

For the second time on the weekend, the Lady Demons (9-6) took the lead in the bottom of the first. Laney Roos got the first of her three hits on the day, a single to right, to bring home Taylor Williams who opened the inning with a walk. A two-out double from Keely DuBois two batters later scored two more and NSU jumped ahead 3-0 after the first six outs of the game.

They added to their lead in the second, after Portland State (9-6) got two runs back on a two-out single in the top of the inning, on Maggie Black's first home run of the season.
Roos' second hit of the day added another run with a solo homer in the bottom of the third, which Kat Marshall followed immediately with a solo shot of her own.

"We did a great job jumping on them early," head coach Donald Pickett said. "We had some chances with runners on and less than two outs and we didn't get anything out of it. Would have liked to been able to put a couple more on the board there but we just didn't have quality at bats. We didn't keep the foot on the gas and they were able to come back."

Portland State completed its come back from the early deficit in the fourth inning by taking advantage of the anomalous outing by the NSU pitching staff. Three walks in the inning led to three of the five total runs scored that gave the Vikings the 7-6 lead.

NSU pitchers walked eight total batters in the game and hit another, leading to five runs in the game. Both runs that scored for PSU on the two-out double in the top of the sixth reached on a walk and hit by pitch.

"We pitched everybody today and all of them that had issues with it," Pickett said. "We are better than that and I don't think that's going to happen very much at all this year but today was one of those games. We've got to figure out a way to win different ways and we didn't score enough runs to do it today."

The Lady Demons had a chance in the bottom of the seventh for a dramatic win after DuBois brought home a run on a base hit to center and putting the tying run on first base. Another two-out hit was not in the cards on the day as Chaffin flew out to center to end the game.

Roos went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and three runs scored and DuBois drove in three on a pair of hits ad NSU had back-to-back double-digit hit games for the first time this season.

The Lady Demons return home on Tuesday for a 5 p.m., game against Grambling.