Lady Demons, Huskies, Lady Lions advance to second round at SLC Tournament

Northwestern State outlasts UIW, HBU upsets in extra innings; SLU downs Nicholls in five 

HAMMOND, La. – No. 4 seed Northwestern State, No. 6 seed HBU and No. 2 Southeastern escaped opening-round play Tuesday afternoon at the 2022 Southland Softball Tournament.

The Lady Demons edged out UIW 4-3 in game one after an early three-run home run from Kat Marshall. HBU upset No. 3 seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 5-4, outlasting the Islanders in an eight-inning thriller to keep its postseason alive. Southeastern opened the tournament with a 10-2 run-rule victory over No. 7 Nicholls.  All teams will be back in action tomorrow for the double-elimination tournament.

Game One | No. 4 Northwestern State – 4 vs. No. 5 UIW – 3 (Box Score) 

Northwestern State took an early 3-0 lead after a three-run homer from Kat Marshall was sent over the left field wall, bringing Alexis Perry home in the bottom of the second inning. Both sides threatened in the third and fourth innings leaving three runners stranded.

Back-to-back singles and a walk would load the bases as Perry stepped up to the plate for the Lady Demons. The junior would walk, allowing Laney Roos to cross home plate to give NSU a 4-0 advantage.

UIW would not go down without a fight recording a three-run blast over the left field wall in the top of the sixth inning to cut the NSU lead 4-3. The Lady Demons would strand two Cardinals in the top of the seventh as Southland Freshman of the Year Sage Hoover provided the final out of the day with her ninth strikeout.

Northwestern State will now take on No. 1 seed McNeese Wednesday, May at 11 a.m. at North Oak Park in Hammond, La. The Lady Demons avoided the three-game sweep stealing one from the Cowgirls in the three-game series in Thibodaux, La., earlier this season.

Game Two | No. 6 HBU 5, No. 3 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4 (Box Score) 

HBU threatened early in the first inning by loading the bases but could not get on the board. Islanders started scoring early, plating one run in the bottom of the first inning after a single up the middle from Ashley Sgambelluri scored Pal Egan.

A&M-Corpus Christi extended its lead in the bottom of the second with an RBI double to left center field. Nothing was doing for either side in the third and fourth inning.

The Huskies climbed onto the board in the top of the fifth after Sarah Venker singled to right field scoring Caitlin Brockway. A fielder’s choice and an Islanders throwing error would plate two, giving HBU its first lead of the day 3-2.

A&M-Corpus Christi’s Siarah Galvan’s RBI singles to left field would tie the game 3-3. HBU’s Madison Cotton worked around the bases loaded jam and stranded the bases loaded while preserving the tie.

The Huskies would take the lead for good in the top of the eighth inning after an RBI single through the left side from Jasie Roberts and an Islanders throwing error scored Baylee Chandler to extend the lead 5-3.

A&M-Corpus Christi was not going down without a fight when Hoyt drove in a run following a leadoff triple from Pal Egan. With one out, Torres singled to advance the tying run into scoring position.  The game ended when Morse stepped to the plate and smoked a ground ball to Savage at third base who picked it clean stepped on the bag and threw it across the diamond to Brockway at first.

Madison Cotton (5-9) secured the Huskins first tournament win since 2014 after tossing 6.0 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out two.

HBU will play No. 2 Southeastern in the second round of the Southland Tournament. First pitch between the Huskies and the Lady Lions is slated for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at North Oak Park.

Game Three | No. 7 Nicholls 2, No. 2 Southeastern 10 (Box Score) 

After a scoreless inning, Southeastern got on the board first in the bottom of the second after a Colonel fielding error scored Madisen Blackford and an RBI single from Sarah Diaz scored Audrey Greely.

Nicholls responded cutting the Lady Lion lead 2-1 after Kennedy Hebert singled to right field. SLU extended its lead 4-1 in the bottom of the second off an RBI groundout and an RBI single from Blackford.

The Lady Lions bats got hot in the bottom of the fourth inning scoring five runs on five hits. Maddie Watson started it off with a two-RBI triple to right field, before Blaire Bizette brought two runners home with a double to right center field.

Heather Zumo (19-4) picked up the win tossing 4.0 innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out four. Southeastern will face No. 6 HBU in round two of the Southland Softball tournament at 1:30 p.m. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Nicholls will meet at 4 p.m. CT. All games will be on ESPN+.