LAKE CHARLES – A pair of two-run, two-out doubles were not enough to overcome a five-run third inning as Northwestern State dropped its Southland Conference Tournament opener to Nicholls, 7-4, on Thursday.
 
Aly Delafield and Peyton Young delivered the clutch extra-base hits for the Demons (24-28), but the veteran Colonels (30-21) used a game-changing third inning to secure the win.
 
"That one inning really was the difference," head coach Jenny Fuller said. "We did a good job of coming back to tie things up, but credit to them. They have a ton of experience up and down their lineup and made plays in the field when they needed to."
 
The Demons will face Stephen F. Austin in an elimination game Friday at 11 a.m., weather permitting.
 
NSU's recent struggles to cash in scoring chances surfaced again early.
 
JT Smith ripped a triple down the first-base line to open the game and immediately put the Demons in position to score. But a groundout to the pitcher and a lineout to first created two quick outs, and after Brynn Daniel drew the first of her two walks, a ground ball to short ended the inning and stranded two runners.
 
Nicholls took advantage of a similar opportunity in the bottom half.
 
The first two Colonels reached base to begin the inning, and after a passed ball moved both runners up, two productive outs gave Nicholls a 2-0 lead.
 
NSU left another runner aboard in the second and appeared headed toward stranding two more in the third before Delafield drove a pitch into the opposite-field gap for a two-run double that tied the game.
 
But Nicholls answered immediately.
 
For the second time, the first two batters of the inning reached base for the Colonels. A walk and double put Nicholls back in front, then three straight one-out hits added three more runs. A two-out single to right capped the inning and made it 7-2.
 
The Colonels sent nine batters to the plate, scoring five runs on five hits while chasing Demon ace Mattison Buster from the game.
 
Young collected the second of her three hits to open the fourth, but the Demons again left two runners on base after an error at first prolonged the inning.
 
Brooklynn Stohler's relief effort kept Northwestern State within striking distance. She threw three perfect innings, retiring all nine batters she faced with four strikeouts.
 
"Brooklynn did exactly what we needed her to do today," Fuller said. "She came in and dominated a really good lineup, got some swing and miss and pounded the strike zone. I'm really proud of her for coming in and doing that in a tough spot. She gave us a chance, and that's all I can ask of her."
 
Using the momentum from Stohler's first clean inning, the Demons put the first two batters aboard in the fifth after two more hit batters, extending the team record to 63 on the season.
 
Two quick outs threatened to waste the opportunity, but Young lined a two-run double off the wall in straightaway center to cut the deficit to 7-4.
 
Stohler continued to carve through the Colonels in the sixth and seventh, but the Demons could not capitalize on baserunners in either inning.
 
Northwestern State stranded nine runners in the game, while Nicholls left just two.