HOUSTON – Northwestern State scored 11 runs in the fourth and fifth innings, as the Lady Demons defeated HBU softball, 14-1 in five innings, Thursday afternoon in the Southland Conference series opener.
Freshman catcher
Madison Vonhagel tied her career high with two hits, as she went 2-for-2 at the plate with an RBI for HBU (6-14 overall, 0-4 SLC).
Victoria Granchelli went 1-for-2 with a run scored.
Emily Mueller started in the circle and took the loss, as she allowed seven hits, three runs, and two walks with two strikeouts in 3.0 innings.
Shannon O'Connor and
Erica Reyes also pitched for the Huskies.
Three players had three hits for Northwestern State (13-12, 4-0), while the Lady Demons' leading hitter, Kellye Kincannon, had six RBIs and two runs scored. Cassandra Barefield had five RBIs and a pair of runs. Micaela Bouvier went the distance in the circle as she gave up three hits, one unearned run, and two walks while striking out two.
Northwestern State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, as Sidney Salmans led off the game with a single, then eventually scored on an RBI groundout by Kincannon.
The Huskies tied the game in the bottom of the second, as V. Granchelli hit a two-out infield single and advanced all the way to third on a pair of Lady Demon throwing errors. Vonhagel brought Granchelli home on an RBI double to left-centerfield.
Barefield's and Brittany Jones' RBI singles in the top of the third gave Northwestern State the lead it would not relinquish. The Lady Demons would score four times in the fourth to make the score, 7-1, then put the run-rule in effect with a seven-run top of the fifth. Northwestern State hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth, including a Kincannon grand slam.
The two teams meet in doubleheader action Saturday at 11 am from Husky Field.
