NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State had plenty of chances to score runs in its home-opening doubleheader against rival Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday. In game one they took full advantage of it. In game two they did not.
 
The Demons (9-10) exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning of the opening game on the way to an easy 8-0 run-rule for head coach Lacy Prejean's first home win as the new NSU skipper. They then left a total of 13 runners on base in the second game, eight of those in scoring position, leading to a frustrating 3-1 loss to the Lumberjacks.
 
Game 1: NSU 8, SFA 0 (5)
 
There was little to speak of through the first three full innings of the first game of the day save for the highlight-reel defensive plays made by the NSU infield
 
In both the second and fourth innings the middle infield turned rally-killing double plays to flip the innings in the blink of an eye. Mia Liscano started the first twin killing in the second on a perfect feed to Taylor Williams at second who made a strong throw to Aly Delafield at first to put an end to the frame.
 
In the fourth with the leadoff batter reaching on an infield single to start the inning, Bailie Ragsdale, who came in for Williams at second the frame, made a sliding stab to her right on a sharply hit ball, flipped to Liscano covering who fired a dart to the outstretched Delafield for two quick outs. 
 
The second double play seemingly woke the NSU bats up as well because the Demons scored the most runs in a single inning this year in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Three straight batters reached base with one out to set the table for the big inning. After Ashlyn Walker worked a walk on 10 pitches to load the bases, Ragsdale shot passed the drawn-in infield to score two quick runs.
 
Kat Marshall flipped a ball into shallow right to bring in another run, with the second scoring on a throwing error by the right fielder making it a 4-0 NSU lead. After a steal of third from Liscano, who took her spot back in the lineup from Marshall's pinch hit, she came in to score on a sacrifice fly of the bat of fellow freshman Sophia Livers.
 
A hit batter and four-pitch walk put two base for Tristin Court, who started the inning with a groundout to short, to line a ball into the left center gap bringing both runners in and give the Demons a seven-run lead with a seven-run inning.
 
"So proud of the adjustments that we made the second and third time through the lineup," Prejean said. "We did that and started squaring the ball up. We executed and played very head's up softball. Everything was clicking. That was the most complete game we played all year long and thankfully it was in our first home game. Proud of the way we came out and put on a good performance in that first game all the way around."
 
NSU starter Kenzie Seely maintained the NSU momentum by getting the Lumberjacks in order in the top of the next inning on a pair of groundouts and her fourth strikeout of the game. She earned her fourth win of the season in the bottom of the fifth on a Liscano RBI single up the middle to score Cameron Curtis from second base.
 
Game 2: SFA 3, NSU 1
 
The Demons had chances to take an early lead in the second game of the day loading the bases in both the second and third innings, and then again in the fourth. In each of those chances they were only able to produce one run on a Liscano sacrifice fly to right field.
 
A walk and two perfectly placed bunt loaded the bags with no outs in the bottom of the second. An infield fly, pop up to short and ground ball to second left the Demons without a run in a prime scoring chance.
 
The first two batters reached in the third and a one-out hit by pitch loaded the bases for the second straight inning. Liscano's fly ball to right brought in a run was squared up but directly into a 14 mile per hour wind preventing it from clearing, at minimum, the defender's head in right.
 
NSU put together a two-our rally in the fourth with a Laney Roos double to center and two straight walks but could not find the critical two-out hit that would have extended the lead, stranding three more runners in the inning. 
 
SFA did get the clutch two-out hit in the bottom of the inning after not putting much of anything together against Maggie Darr through the first four innings of the game. After a pitching change and hit batter loaded the bases, SFA's leadoff batter Madison Nguyen, who finished the game 3-for-4, snuck one through the left side to score two runs and give the Jacks their first runs and lead of the day.
 
Nguyen drove in SFA's insurance run on an RBI groundout in the seventh. NSU brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the inning after Ragsdale singled but a ground ball to third finished off the game for the Lumberjacks.