Northwestern State starts fast, can’t hold on in SLC softball tourney elimination game against UCA

HAMMOND — The recipe was similar, it just didn’t produce the desired result.

The Northwestern State softball team started fast Friday night during a Southland Conference tournament elimination game against Central Arkansas. However they couldn’t maintain momentum en route to a 5-2 loss to the Bears at North Oak Park.

“This weekend was fun,” head coach Donald Pickett said. “A lot of things went against them, and they didn’t quit. I’m real proud of them.”

The defeat ends fourth-seeded NSU’s season at 24-22 overall. No. 2-seeded Central Arkansas (35-19) advances to the losers’ bracket championship to play top-seeded Stephen F. Austin on Saturday morning.

The Lady Demons scored both of their runs in the bottom of the first inning. NSU answered the home run by UCA’s Kaylyn Shepard in the top of the first with a bases-loaded walk by freshman infielder Keely DuBois and an RBI sacrifice fly by sophomore catcher Alexis Perry.

The scoring opportunity was started by junior pitcher E.C. Delafield. She led off the inning with a single.

Delafield made her second start of day and nearly completed her second game of the day. She was the tough-luck loser — dropping her to 12-5 on the season — after allowing five earned runs on 12 hits with three strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work.

Jordan Johnson received the nod to start for the Bears. She lasted 3.2 innings, surrendering two runs on three hits. Kayla Beaver came on in relief, tossing the final 3.1 frames and held the Lady Demons to just one hit.

Shepard provided the cushion in the top of the seventh. She hit her second homer of the game, a two-run shot to right center, that made it 5-2.

The Lady Demons brought the tying runner to the dish in the bottom half of the seventh, but it wasn’t meant to be.