NATCHITOCHES, La. -
Veronica Harrison homered in her first two-at-bats as Lamar University (24-19, 12-8 SLC) overcame an early 2-1 deficit to defeat Northwestern State (5-38, 2-18) 6-2 in the opening game Friday. The Cardinals needed four sixth-inning runs to sweep the doubleheader 4-1.
Harrison finished game one with three hits and three RBIs and recorded the 12th multi-homer game in Cardinals' history.
Jayne Sepulveda picked up her seventh career three-hit game and drove in an RBI. Also with three hits was
Kalie Amos, who scored twice while
Sicily Windham (RBI) posted two hits.
Reagan Smith went the distance allowing four hits and struck out five batters to earn the victory.
Raigan Brannon posted two hits and an RBI in game two while Windham drove in two runs on a double.
Mallory Pitre returned to the win column allowing a run on seven hits.
Sabrina Jolin (0 hits, 1 K) picked up the five-out save to preserve the win.
Game 1: Lamar 6, NSU 2
Harrison put the Cardinals up 1-0 in the opening inning with her seventh homer of the season. NSU answered for two runs in the bottom of the first. While the Cardinals left a pair of runners on in the second, they recaptured the lead with Sepulveda on base, Harrison homered for the second straight at-bat to make it 3-2.
LU added three insurance runs in the final four innings beginning with a Sepulveda RBI single to score Amos in the top of the fourth. Two innings later, Windham singed to short that scored Brandon from second while a Demon error off the bat of Harrison brought Amos in for a 6-2 lead. Smith finished off her fifth complete-game victory of the season.
Game 2: Lamar 4, NSU 1
After a 1-2-3 first inning, the Demons stranded eight base runners over the next three innings. Thanks to defensive plays by the Cardinals, NSU was unable to break through despite five hits. LU's offense would go through a different saga through five innings as it was held to two hits.
Big Red broke through in the sixth as Sepulveda led off reaching on an error before scoring on a wild pitch. Three more runs came from doubles by Brannon and Windham. After an NSU home broke the shutout, Jolin was called upon to keep the lead intact. A caught stealing and strikeout later, the Anchorage, Alaska senior walked off the sixth with the three-run lead intact that stayed through the end of the contest.
The Cardinals will now look to complete the sweep tomorrow. The first pitch is scheduled for noon.
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