HOUSTON – Northwestern State got the response it wanted against UMass but was unable to against UTSA in a split of Saturday's action at the Houston Classic.
The Demons (5-5) saw a pair of unearned runs cross the plate in the first game of the day but immediately provided an answer in the bottom of the inning to secure hold on to a 3-2 win in the opener. After allowing a pair of 2-out hits and runs in the middle innings against UTSA, the Demons could not string together the needed hits down the stretch in a 5-1 loss to the Roadrunners.
Game 1: NSU 3, UMass 2
The Demons missed a prime scoring opportunity early against UMass with three of the first four batters of the game working their 3-2 counts into free passes with walks. A foul out and a ground out left the bags full in the bottom of the first and the first major scoring threat of the game faded away.
A leadoff double in the top of the fourth created the next scoring chance for UMass. An error at first then put runners at the corners and a steal of second put two in scoring position with no out.
Starting pitcher
Maggie Darr, who turned in her third quality start of the season and had only allowed two hits to that point, got a critical swing-and-miss strikeout of the next batter. A tapper right back to her from the next batter started a 1-4-2 double play to get the Demons out of the inning and keep the game scoreless.
Using that as momentum,
Tristin Court laced her first triple of the season to right to open the bottom of the inning. She trotted home two batters later on a
Kat Marshall sacrifice fly to put the first run on the board for NSU.
As good as the Demon defense performed in the clutch situation in the fourth, the opposite was true in the fifth leading to UMass' only runs of the game. With two outs in the inning and following an innocuous single to left, NSU committed three errors on three straight plays leading to two runs, putting UMass up 2-1.
NSU's response came swiftly and immediately.
Sophia Livers drew a leadoff walk and
Taylor Williams reached on a bunt single within the first five pitches of the inning and both advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt.
Laney Roos then put the ball in play sending Livers sprinting to the plate. She was initially called out on the play but a review determined obstruction on the catcher allowing her to score and tie the game.
Court sent the next pitch right back up the middle to score Williams and put NSU back on top 3-2.
The only remaining drama came in the top of the sixth when UMass loaded the bases with two outs, but Darr, after being lifted from the game for four batter, came back in to induce a ground ball out to escape the jam.
Court finished the game 2-for-2 with an RBI and reached base in all three of her plate appearances in the game. Darr (2-1) went 6 2/3, did not allow an earned run and struck out eight in the game.
Game 2: UTSA 5, NSU 1
NSU got on the board early in the third game of the season against UTSA, picking up a run without the benefit of a hit.
Taylor Williams started the game with a walk, got to third on a wild pitch and a groundout then scored on a
Laney Roos sacrifice fly.
A walk also led to UTSA's first run of the game as well. A one-out free pass in the bottom of the second, following be a steal of second, put the runner in scoring position for the ensuing double to right center to tie the game. The Roadrunners took the lead two batters later on a two-out single up the middle that made it 2-1.
Another two-out hit added to their lead in the third inning with their second double of the game to make it 3-1.
NSU's next best scoring chance since the early innings came in the fifth when it had a chance to tie things up thanks to back-to-back walks from
Camryn Ford and
Bailie Ragsdale to start the inning.
After a pitching change, the next two batters were retired in order and a runner was thrown out at second to end the inning putting an end to the potential rally.
UTSA used that momentum to add on with a base hit and a 2-run home run with one out in the bottom of the inning.
The Demons got hits in both the sixth and seventh innings, including a double from Laney, tying her for the early team lead with Court with four on the season, but could not string together enough offense for a comeback.
