MEMPHIS, Tenn. – It was a tale to two games and opportunities with runners on base for Northwestern State on leading to a split on the final day of the Tiger Classic.

The Lady Demons (17-12) took advantage of their chances in a 9-1, five-inning win against East Tennessee State to start the day, but left runs on the bases in a 9-4 loss to Memphis to finish it.

The Lady Demons started early and kept the pedal down in the first game against ETSU.

Bailie Ragsdale walked to start the first inning, and after moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, scored easily on a double from Laney Roos putting NSU ahead 1-0 just three batters into the game.

After the second of four scoreless inning for starter Maggie Darr, who picked up her seventh win of the season in her fifth outing where she allowed three or fewer hits in five or more innings of work, ETSU was able to scratch across its only run on two of its three hits to tie the game at one.

The response from the Lady Demons was swift and emphatic in the bottom of the frame.

A walk and two base hits loaded the bases for one of the hottest hitters in the NSU lineup Keely DuBois. The short stop that had five RBIs on a double and home run the day before added to her eye-popping total weekend totals by taking a 3-1 pitch over the left-center wall to put the Lady Demons ahead 5-1.

"We were able to get some runners on and really took advantage when we did like a good team should," head coach Donald Pickett said. "When we did get hits we got big hits and were able to blow the game open with a couple of doubles and home runs."

NSU missed a chance to add to the lead following the home run after two walks put runners on with still only one out, but cashed in on the next one an inning later.

Ragsdale again started the inning by reaching base, this time on an infield single, then used her speed to score from first on a double to center from the next batter Taylor Williams.

Four pitches later Makenzie Chaffin blew the top off the game with a three-run home run to right that brought in Williams and Roos who was hit by a pitch and making it a 9-1 game going to the fifth inning.

On more than one occasion this season the Lady Demons have had opportunities to end games early via the run rule but have yet to seal the deal in one way or another. Chaffin's three-run homer gave them the eight-run edge and Darr did not drop the intensity in the circle in the bottom of the inning.

A pair of easy fly balls and a strikeout ended the game in five for the first time this year for NSU and provided Pickett another indicator that the message he delivered a week ago had been received.

"I really bragged on them for finishing the game today and pushing themselves to end the thing in five," he said. "We've had a couple of opportunities to that this year and not been able to so it was good to be able to go out and do that today. Hopefully that means things are coming together and excited to see how we come out of it."

Like they had done in each of the previous four games, the Lady Demons put the first number in the runs column in the finale against Memphis.

NSU threatened to strike first in each of the first two innings, getting two runners on in each frame with three early hits and a hit batter, but could not cash in on those chances.

After two scoreless frames to start the game, Laney Roos hit her fifth home run of the season, a solo shot with one out in the third to give NSU the lead. The Lady Demons put together a quick two-out rally for another with three straight base hits, the final of which, a Kat Marshall knock to right, brought in DuBois who started things.

The bottom of the inning however was not as kind.

Four straight hits started the frame for the home team, tying the game, and a sacrifice fly put Memphis ahead 3-2. A fifth base hit led to the big blow of the game and the inning, a three-run home run to left center that made it a 6-2 affair.

Bronte Rhoden came out in relief for the final two outs of the inning, beginning a stretch of seven straight retired batters that gave NSU a chance to come back in the game.

They took that opportunity right away in the fourth with a two-run single from Chaffin cutting the lead back down to two at 6-4. Rhoden got three outs on seven pitches in the bottom of the inning, but the Lady Demons had an equally as quick plate outing in the fifth, going in order on seven pitches as well.

The final major opportunity for NSU came in the sixth after consecutive base hits from Ragsdale and Williams put the tying run on first with the heart of the order at the plate. The threat dissipated as quickly as it appeared on an inning-ending double play.

The knock-out blows from the Tigers came in the bottom of the inning with a single, wild pitch and sacrifice fly to right adding three to their total and the 9-4 victory.

Every Lady Demon in the lineup had a hit or reached base in the game as NSU outhit Memphis 11-8. The first three batters in the order each had two hits as the Lady Demons reached double figures in hits in five of the six games on the week.