HUNTSVILLE, Texas – It was nearly the same script in both games for Northwestern State on the final day of the Bearkat Classic.
 
The Lady Demons (1-3) got two quality pitching performances from Ryleigh Denton, who made her first career start for NSU, and Maggie Darr, but extra-base hits led to or accounted for each of the only four runs allowed on the day.
 
NSU fell to South Dakota State by the score of 2-0 and suffered a walk-off loss in the bottom of the seventh in a 2-1 loss to Sam Houston.
 
"We got two good pitching performances today and they just got a couple of big hits off us," head coach Donald Pickett said. "We just couldn't get anything really going on offense and struggled to produce any runs today. We'll get back to work this week and work on those things and get better and be ready for next weekend."
 
South Dakota State 2, NSU 0
 
The first of the Jack Rabbits' table-setting extra-base hits came in the second inning with a one-out triple down the line in left field. Denton got the next two batters to ground out to end the inning, but not before the run came in on the grounder to second that immediately followed the three-bagger.
 
The Demons had opportunities in both the third and fourth inning to even the score, getting a leadoff walk from Nani Winger and a one-out single from Keely Dubois, but each time were unable to string together more hits to bring the tying run around to score. 
 
Denton retired 11 of the next 13 batters she faced after the first-inning triple, allowing just base hits in the third and fifth innings, to keep the Jack Rabbits from adding anything to the scoreboard.
 
Laney Roos smacked her second double of the opening weekend with one out in the sixth to put the tying run in scoring position. A strikeout and pop up to third from the next two hitters left her standing at second along with the Demons' final significant scoring threat of the game.
 
SDSU started the bottom of the inning with a double that was immediately cashed in by an RBI single to right to create the 2-0 final score.
 
Denton threw five solid innings in her first start and appearance for NSU allowing two runs on five hits and induing 11 ground ball outs.
 
Sam Houston 2, NSU 1
 
The Bearkats got the game's first run with a two-out double to center, bringing in the baserunner who opened the inning with a single to right.
 
NSU used the extra-base hit formula to even the game two innings later.
 
Sophomore Derika Castillo hit her first career home run to begin the top of the third tying the game at a run apiece. Her hit was the only one for the Demons in through the middle innings of the game, but NSU was still able to put together the next credible scoring threat of the game.
 
Roos picked up her sixth hit of the weekend to open the sixth inning. A Kat Marshall walk put runners at first and second with only one out. An infield ground ball put runners at the corners but created the second out. A grounder to short ended the inning and the biggest scoring threat of the day for NSU.
 
The final blow of the day came from the first Bearkat batter of the seventh inning. Sophomore Brodie Quinlan hit a walk-off home run to end the game, the fifth extra-base hit of the day against the Demons.
 
Maggie Darr took the tough-luck loss despite allowing just two runs while scattering six hits across six innings of work with five strikeouts.