Box Score HOUSTON – Northwestern State put all three phases of the game on display Friday afternoon in a 3-1 win against UTSA to open the Houston Classic.
 
All three of the Demons' (4-4) runs scored courtesy of extra-base hits, they got another light's out performance in the circle from Kenzie Seely and made clutch plays behind her in some critical moments.
 
We got it from everybody today," head coach Lacy Prejean said. "Kenzie was dominant in the circle again. The defense was outstanding. We ran the bases well. It was a great was to follow up that second game on Tuesday and get us going to start this weekend."
 
With her 34^th career double and the first of the season, Kat Marshall gave NSU a second-inning lead by bringing Tristin Court around to score who started the inning with a four-pitch walk. They added to the lead an inning later as Laney Roos delivered a two-out gapper to right center scoring Sophia Livers from third who started the inning with a leadoff single.
 
The early run support fuel a second straight dominant performance in the circle from Seely.
 
After tossing her second career shutout on Tuesday against Stephen F. Austin, the senior followed that up with her third complete game of the season going 6 2/3 scoreless innings scattering four hits with four strikeouts.
 
She used her defense throughout the game with eight fly ball outs and inducing seven outs on the ground, none bigger than final one of the third inning.
 
With the Demons up two after Roos' double in the top half of the inning, UTSA got the first two batters on with a double of their own and a hit batter. Preseason all-conference catcher Ashlyn Walker threw out her third runner of the season trying to steal for the first out of the inning. After one of four Seely walks in the game put the tying run back on base, a ground ball to Mia Liscano at short started the inning-ending double play to keep it a 2-0 game. 
 
UTSA finished the game going 1-for-9 with runners on base, the one coming on a single in the bottom of the seventh, and were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
 
The Demons had chances to add to their lead in each of the middle innings but were unable to push a run across until the top of the seventh.
 
After two quick outs senior Taylor Williams delivered her first home run of the season, a shot to dead center field, and the first since her freshman season in 2021, pushing the lead to 3-0 for NSU.
 
"Coach Lacy had just said that we need to score more to keep the momentum on our side," Williams said. "Bailie (Ragsdale) was standing next to me in the dugout and encouraging me and so I told her that if I got a hit it was for her. I went up there thinking about getting behind the ball and to see it deep. I had two strikes on me and got my pitch and my swing just took over.
 
"When I saw it go, I looked immediately to home plate and saw the team going wild. It was such a heartwarming feeling. Bailie was front row going crazy and that was honestly the best part about the home run today."
 
UTSA scratched across a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh to prevent the second straight shutout for Seely and the Demons.
 
NSU continues play in the Houston Classic on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. against UMass and 1:30 p.m. against UTSA.