AUSTIN, Texas – A four-run first inning got Northwestern State off to a quick start on Saturday evening as it ran away with an 8-2 win against Tarleton State in the Longhorn Invitational.
 
The Demons (11-11) pounded out a season-high 13 hits in the game with each of the first five batters in the lineup recorded two knocks and all nine batters in the order reaching base in some fashion.
 
Leadoff batter Taylor Williams set the tone with four productive plate appearances. She drew a walk in the first, coming around to score the game's first run, tripled in a run in the second, hit a leadoff double in the fourth and drove in the seventh on NSU's eight runs on the night with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
 
"It was just a great day at the plate for our offense," head coach Lacy Prejean said. "We set a great tone in the first inning and continued it throughout the game. Taylor has really stepped up and taken a hold of things in that leadoff spot. Our outfielders, Sophia (Livers) and Laney (Roos) also made two elite plays to end two different innings that created even more momentum for us."
 
After Williams' walk to start the bottom of the first, three straight singles from Tristin Court, Cameron Curtis and Aly Delafield put the Demons up 2-0 just five batters into the game and chasing the Tarleton starting pitcher.
 
The Demons picked up two more runs on a throwing error to the plate and a well-placed bunt from Bailie Ragsdale to score Delafield from third giving NSU its fifth inning this season scoring four or more runs.
 
Sophia Livers started the second inning with an infield single and promptly scored on Williams' triple to right field. An RBI groundout from Laney Roos scored the second run of the inning and the Demons had a 6-0 lead after two innings of play.
 
Starting pitcher Kenzie Seely (5-5) retired seven straight batters after the big first inning keeping the momentum squarely in the Demon dugout. She allowed just two hits in her seventh complete game of the season, a leadoff single in the fourth and leadoff triple in the sixth that led to Tarleton's only two runs of the game.
 
Leading 6-1 in the fifth inning, the Demons flirted with a second run-rule victory on the week after Ragsdale and Mia Liscano reached base to open the inning and reached second and third on an error at first.
 
Williams drove in a run on a sac fly to center and Roos singled to right to make it an 8-1 game. She reached second base after a walk to Ashlyn Walker but the game-ending hit did not come and the Demons played out the final two innings to pick up their third win of the week.
 
Eight of the nine batters in the NSU lineup recorded a hit in the game, five different players drove in at least one run in the game and seven different players scored a run in the game.
 
NSU wraps up its weekend at the Longhorn Invitational against Penn State beginning at 12:30 p.m. airing on the Longhorn Network.