THIBODAUX – Northwestern State set season highs in both runs and hits in Friday's series finale at Nicholls, unfortunately it could not piece together enough pitching, falling in a 12-11 slugfest to the Colonels.
 
The Demons (6-41, 3-21) worked their way back from a 4-0 first-inning deficit thanks to an 8-run top of the fourth to take a 10-4 lead. The Colonels (28-21, 17-7) responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning, adding two more in the fifth and three in the sixth to regain the lead and win the game.
 
"We came out with purpose and intent today at the plate and I am really proud of how we responded after that first inning," head coach Jenny Fuller said. "We got those timely hits we've been missing at times this year and just kept passing the bat. Anytime you score 11 runs you expect to win those games, we just gave up too many free passes and Nicholls took advantage of it throughout the game."
 
Two walks in the first inning led to two of Nicholls four first-inning runs. A two-out double to center from Brynne Songy scored a pair and put the Colonels up 4-0 after the first inning of play.
 
The Demons needed just one batter to offer a response in the next half innings as Riley Schwisow launched a no-doubt home run to straight away center, her team-leading fourth of the season, to get the Demons on the board.
 
Her long ball was one of three in the innings as Sophia Livers doubled five pitches later and Cash Herber tripled two batters after that, cutting the Colonel lead in half at 4-2.
 
After a scoreless third from both teams, the Demons put together their most explosive offensive inning of the season to storm into the lead.
 
With runners at second and third an no outs, Savannah Coleman looped a ball into shallow center to score Schwisow from third. After swiping second on the first and third situation, Herber delivered in a similar fashion to tie the game at four on another flare into shallow center.
 
Two batter later Aly Delafield shot one through the right side bringing in two and giving the Demons the 6-4 lead. DJ Lynch added to the lead with the third RBI single of the inning and moved to third on a Brynn Daniel double two pitches later.
 
In her second plate appearance of the inning, Schwisow was hit by a pitch for the second time on the weekend to load the bases. Sophia Livers split the gap in right center on the third pitch of the at-bat scoring all three runners and giving NSU a 10-4 lead.
 
The eight-run inning was the most in the single frame this year and the first time the Demons have scored more than seven runs in an inning since 2023. It was the most runs in an inning in a conference game since a nine spot at UIW in 2021.
 
A single and three hit batters in the bottom half of the inning though, cracked the door for the Colonels to being their comeback attempt. Two of the three batters that reached via the free pass came in to score on a two-run single up the middle with two outs, cutting the NSU lead down to three at 10-7.
 
The Colonels chipped away with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, cashing in another hit batter and a walk on a double to left center that made it a 10-9 game.
 
Bailie Ragsdale set the Demons up for some insurance with a leadoff triple in the top of the sixth, the third three-bagger of the day for NSU, the most in a single game since 2013. Two strikeouts and a soft liner to short left her standing at third as the inning ended.
 
After turning six of the eight total free passes on the day into runs, the Colonels needed no help in the sixth to regain the lead. A solo home run from Songy tied the game at 10, and after a base hit up the middle, a pinch-hit two-run homer gave Nicholls the 12-10 lead.
 
The Demons had one more surge in them in the top of the seventh, getting back-to-back doubles from Herber and pinch-hitter Tori Clayton, pulling back within a run, but a soft grounder to first ended the rally there.
 
NSU tallied 14 hits in the game, topping the game two of the series total of 12 for the most in a game this year. The 11 runs scored were also the most in a game this season.
 
Herber finished a home run shy of the cycle with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, one game after Delafield did the same. The eight extra-base hits were the most in a game this year and the most by the Demons in a game since 2021.