Raiders’ Offense Erupts for 22 Runs in Friday’s Doubleheader, Securing Wins Over Angelina and Bossier Parish

YOUNGSVILLE, La. — Northwest Florida State softball kicked off their weekend in Louisiana with two dominant wins over Angelina College and Bossier Parish. The Raiders powered past Angelina with a 16-5 victory in game one before shutting out Bossier Parish 6-0 in game two. 

Sister Arnold led the offensive explosion in game one, going 4-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs. In game two, Mallory Baker was stellar in the circle, throwing a complete-game shutout while allowing just three hits, one walk, and striking out seven.

GAME 1 vs. Angelina

Sister Arnold delivered a dominant performance at the plate, driving in five runs on four hits to lead Northwest Florida State to a 16-5 victory over the Angelina Lady Roadrunners on Friday. Arnold's big day included a three-run homer in the third, as well as RBI singles in the fifth and seventh innings. 

The Raiders struck first in the second inning when Sara Watson doubled to bring in a run. However, Angelina responded in the bottom half, capitalizing on an error and an RBI single from Emily Zunker to take a 2-1 lead. 

Arnold's three-run blast in the third put Northwest Florida State back on top, 4-2. Angelina's Katherine Page kept it close with a two-run inside-the-park home run in the fifth, but the Raiders exploded for six runs in the sixth to extend their lead. Falyn Beebe and Bre Hughes each recorded RBI singles, while Hailey Henry launched a two-run homer to right field, giving the Raiders an 11-4 cushion.

Northwest Florida continued its offensive surge in the seventh, tacking on five more runs behind key hits from Arnold, Henry, Julie Stevens, and Hughes, sealing their 16-5 victory.

Pitching Performance
Cailyn Heyl started in the circle for the Raiders, delivering four solid innings while allowing two unearned runs on two hits and striking out three. Bre Barnes took over in relief, pitching three innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, and recording three strikeouts.

Offensive Standouts
Northwest Florida State's offense erupted for 17 hits, with Sister Arnold leading the charge. She went 4-for-5, driving in five runs, including a three-run homer. Hailey Henry also made a big impact, collecting two hits and four RBIs, highlighted by a home run. Julie Stevens and Hailey Hughes contributed with multiple hits to round out the Raiders' strong offensive performance.

GAME 2 vs. Bossier Parish

Northwest Florida State dominated on both sides of the ball in game two, securing a 6-0 win over Bossier Parish.

The Raiders got on the board in the second inning with an RBI double from Lillie Piersol. They extended their lead in the third when Sara Watson singled to left, followed by Lulu Luedtke driving in another run with a hard-hit ground ball to center. 

Northwest Florida broke the game open in the sixth, adding three more runs. Sister Arnold started the scoring with a sacrifice fly, while Mallory Baker followed with a line-drive double to bring in two more. Baker later crossed the plate on a throwing error by the Cavaliers' catcher while attempting to steal third. 

With dominant pitching and a balanced offensive attack, the Raiders proved too much for Bossier Parish, kicking off their weekend in Louisiana with back-to-back commanding victories.

Pitching Highlights

Mallory Baker not only effective at the plate, she was also dominate in the circle, tossing a complete-game shutout. The right-hander allowed just three hits over seven innings while striking out seven and walking one.

Offensive Leaders

Offensively, Northwest Florida State spread the production throughout the lineup, with Karson McGowan, Baker, Lulu Luedtke, Watson, Anna Grace Griggs, Sister Arnold, Hayden Andrews, and Piersol each recording a hit. Five different Raiders—Baker, Luedtke, Watson, Arnold, and Piersol—drove in a run. The team showed patience at the plate, drawing seven walks, with Arnold and Haley Hughes leading the way with two each.

The Raiders were aggressive on the base paths, stealing seven bases, with Hughes and Baker swiping multiple bags.

UP NEXT

The Raiders time in Louisiana will continue into the weekend as they are set to play three more games over the next two days. Tomorrow, the Raiders will play a double header staring at 10:00 a.m. against Alvin College followed by Lamar State-Port Arthur at 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, the Raiders will have a lone game against UA Rich Mountain starting at 10:00 a.m. to close out their weekend.