MOBILE, Ala. – Northwestern State’s softball team received another strong outing in the circle Sunday from freshman Brooklynn Stohler, but the hot bats from Saturday did not make their way forward.

Stohler threw her second complete game of the weekend and held Illinois-Chicago hitless for the final four innings, allowing just one baserunner during that stretch. The Demons’ bats could not erase the three runs and four hits allowed in the first in a 3-0 loss to close the season-opening weekend.

Stohler pitched a four-hitter in the season-opening 2-1 defeat to Murray State Friday, falling on a walk-off single after Northwestern loaded the bases with one out but couldn’t score an inning earlier.

With the nation’s youngest Division I roster, NSU finished 0-5 over three days in the South Alabama Tournament in its first action under new coach Jenny Fuller. The Demons open their home schedule next weekend, Saturday and Sunday hosting Memphis and Jacksonville State.

Northwestern was no-hit 7-0 by UAB later Friday. Saturday, after Murray State dumped the Demons 10-2, NSU battled the host team competitively in a slugfest until the late stages of an 11-6 loss to a 2024 NCAA Tournament team.

A windy day at the park led to big swings for and against Northwestern Saturday afternoon. Two blasts for Murray State in the opener propelled the Racers before three long balls by South Alabama were enough to beat the two by DJ Lynch and Peyton Peck from the Demons. NSU led 2-0 five batters into the game and later by 4-2, but USA scored five on a pair of homers in the fourth and fifth innings to take charge.

“I’m really proud of our team for competing the way they did (Saturday), especially in that second game against South Alabama,” Fuller said. “With them being a regional team last year our goal was to compete and fight and that’s what we did.”

LADY DEMON TENNIS: North Texas came to the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex and posted a 6-1 decision to spoil Northwestern’s home opener Sunday.

Sophomore Honoka Umeda outdueled her UNT foe at No. 1 singles 3-6, 6-2, 10-2 for NSU’s only point. The Lady Demons (0-2) are slated for home matches Tuesday against LSU Alexandria and Thursday vs. ULM, weather permitting.