SAN MARCOS, Texas – Northwestern State got some key plays and missed some key moments in a weather-delayed doubleheader split on Saturday to close opening weekend of the 2024 season.
 
A handful of Demon freshmen rose to the occasion in a 6-3 win over Southern Illinois to start the day but NSU (2-3) was unable to get a key hit or two early in a 1-0 loss to Kennesaw State to finish it.
 
Game 1: NSU 6, SIU 3
 
With heavy rain in the area throughout most of the morning, NSU's originally scheduled 10 a.m. first pitch did not come until nearly two hours later. 
 
Staring pitcher Ryleigh Denton induced a lot of soft contact through her time in the circle and danced out of a bases loaded situation in the first but was not able to repeat the task in the second.
 
 SIU loaded the bases with one out with the ball only leaving the infield once and scored their first run on an error at second and their second and third on a soft single to right to take a 3-0 lead.
 
The Demons responded immediately loading the bases in the next half inning. Tristin Court brought in a run on a sacrifice fly, the Demons showed their aggression on the base paths with a double steal forcing a wild throw and leading to another run. Ashlyn Walker tied the game on another sacrifice fly making the game all even again. 
 
From that point forward a quartet of NSU freshmen took firm control of the game playing pivotal roles in the come-from-behind win.
 
"I was really happy and proud of the freshmen and how they played today," head coach Lacy Prejean said. "They rose to the occasion and fought and competed, had some great at bats, never gave up and competed and that's all you can ask of them. If we're going to be successful they're going to have to continue to do that and grow up really fast and continue to work. I'm really proud of how they responded when I gave them the start today."
 
Aly Delafield took over in the circle in the bottom of the fourth, and after surrendering a pair of walks to the first three batters she faced, settled in to retire six straight before a one-out single to left, that was immediately erased on a 5-4-3 double play, and give up just two hits the rest of the game.
 
She also served as the go-ahead run in the fourth after reaching on a walk, moving to third on two sacrifice bunts and scoring on a wild pitch to put NSU up 4-3 after four innings. 
 
Freshman centerfielder Sophia Livers sprinted down a ball hit to deep center in the fifth, with NSU still only up a run, to prevent extra bases with one out in the inning. Delafield got the next batter to ground to short to end the frame on the first pitch.
 
Delafield and Livers both drew walks to start the sixth inning for freshman short stop Mia Liscano to blister a ball down the right field line for a two-run triple pushing the Demons' lead to three at 6-3.
 
All together they accounted for four of NSU's six runs in the game, three of its five hits with Delafield earning her first career win in the circle tossing four scoreless innings to close the game.
 
Game 2: Kennesaw State 1, NSU 0
 
After coming through in some big spots in the first game of the day, NSU missed some prime ones early in the second that proved costly at the end of the game.
 
NSU got the leadoff batter on in both the second and third innings but were unable to bring them around to score and had six at bats with runners in scoring position through the first three innings.
 
Laney Roos doubled deep into the left field corner with two-out in the first but was left there after a hard-hit ball from Tristin Court found a glove in left field. Ashlyn Walker singled to start the second and after pinch runner Bailie Ragsdale stole second, two strikeouts and pop up ended the inning.
 
Taylor Williams opened the third with a sharp single to right and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Two more strikeouts left her standing at second as NSU went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position through the first three innings and only had one other such at bat the rest of the game, finishing 0-for-7.
 
The missed chances at the plate were magnified by the stellar pitching performance of Maggie Darr in the circle.
 
In her second start, the imposing senior allowed just two hits through the first three innings of play with three punch outs. After getting the first two outs of the fourth the only real solid contact off Darr lead to a two-out double and eventual bloop RBI single that scored the Owls only run of the game.
 
Darr struck out her fifth of the game in the top of the fifth and finished her day allowing one run on four hits with a pair of walks. She handed the ball over to Kenzie Seely for the final two frames with the fellow senior inducing three more ground ball outs, picking up another strikeout and two soft pop ups to second, tossing two perfect innings of relief.
 
"I was proud of how Maggie came back after a great first game and followed it up two days later," Prejen said. "Really just proud of the entire pitching staff the past couple days. They really gave us an opportunity to win. We got good quality starts and they helped us get some momentum our way but we weren't always able to capitalize on it."
 
NSU could not mount a potential walk off threat in the bottom of the seventh, going down in order on seven pitches.