NATCHITOCHES – Mattison Buster was near perfection this past week for Northwestern State and as such, was named Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week the league office announced on Monday.
 
This is the third weekly award for the Demon ace after picking up the honor on March 2 following the City of Lights Classic and March 16 after a pair of wins against McNeese.
 
This past week in three starts, Buster went 3-0 with a 0.33 ERA in 21.0 innings of work, three complete games, and a pair of shutouts. The Demons got a 2-1 win in the midweek against Louisiana Tech, thanks to Buster's effort, and two road shutouts, 2-0 and 6-0, at Stephen F. Austin helping the Demons win their second road conference series of the year.
 
Buster struck out six in her complete game outing against her former team on Tuesday. She allowed her only run of the week in the third inning of the game before promptly retiring 15 of the next 17 batters she faced to secure the 2-1 victory.
 
In the conference series at SFA, she did not allow a run to a Lumberjack team that entered the series averaging 5.1 runs per game overall and 8.0 per game during their four-game winning streak. 
 
After a go-ahead double from Britt Bourgoyne in the top of the fourth inning of the series opener, Buster allowed just three total baserunners across the final four SFA at-bats, sealing the win. She extended her scoreless inning's pitched streak to 19.0, a career best and among the longest streaks in the country this year, with her second shutout in the finale, scattering seven hits and allowing her defense to work behind her.
 
With her win in the finale, giving her 17 for the season, Buster is tied with Kylie Roos for the most wins by a Demon pitcher since 2013.
 
Over her last five starts, Buster has a 5-0 record with four complete games with a 1.38 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and opponents are batting just .193 against her with runners on base.
 
She leads the conference in wins (17), complete games (15), games started (23), fewest hit batters (4), innings pitched (142.1), pitching appearances (29) and shutouts (6). She also ranks in the top five in the country in wins, innings pitched, games started, complete games and shutouts.
 
Buster and the Demons host UIW this weekend for a three-game series beginning with Friday's doubleheader at 4 p.m.