Redemption can come in many different ways.
For Northwestern State softball pitcher Mattison Buster, it came in the form of her Southland Conference-leading 13th complete game and 15th win, notching it against her former team, Louisiana Tech, on Tuesday night.
The Demons (18-18) picked up their fourth win in a row with a 2-1 victory over the Bulldogs (19-17), snapping a three-game losing skid to their north Louisiana rivals, including a 12-3 loss in Ruston on Feb. 17. Buster did not pitch in that game and since then, NSU is 15-9.
“I knew that she wanted the ball and this was a good opportunity for her to rise to the occasion,” head coach Jenny Fuller said about Buster. “I knew she was capable of that performance and I’m just so proud of her. She deserved that win.”
Whatever nerves she had coming into the game were quickly settled thanks to Demon leadoff batter JT Smith and her ability to make things happen at the top of the lineup.
Smith drew a five-pitch walk against Tech ace Allie Floyd and moved to second on a groundout. A passed ball and wild pitch during Brynn Daniel’s at-bat allowed Smith to use her speed to take the next two bases and score, giving Northwestern the early lead.
It was the 18th time this season the Demons have scored in the first inning of a game.
“It’s absolutely nice to be able to pitch with the lead and maintaining that lead is always my main focus,” Buster said. “You’re locked in to start the game but as soon as you score a run you kind of go into protection mode of the lead. That was my main focus all night long.”
Buster worked around traffic in the second inning before surrendering the tying run on a double to left in the third.
Buster retired the next eight batters in a row and nine of the next 10 to put up zeroes the rest of the way, protecting the lead her teammates returned to her in the bottom of the third.
NSU’s Riley Schwisow opened the third with a double to right center and moved to third on another wild pitch from Floyd with two outs. She came in to score to put the Demons back on top on an infield single that Mckenna Rinewalt beat out at first base.
The Demons left multiple runners on base in the fourth and fifth innings, unable to extend their lead, but Buster required no further insurance. She struck out Reagan Marchant to strand the tying run at third in the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh to finish another gem-worthy performance in the circle.
“I was nervous building up to this game because I wanted to do good for my teammates and us have a better game than when we played them earlier in the year,” Buster said. “I wanted to show up for my teammates and really wanted to get this win for our fans, my teammates and myself.”
Buster allowed just one run on five hits with five strikeouts and only one walk. The 15 wins are the most by a Demon pitcher since Mikayla Brown’s 16 during the 2017 season.
TENNIS: Two of the state’s best women’s tennis teams collide today in Lafayette when Northwestern visits UL Lafayette in a match beginning at 1:30 on the Cajun Courts.
The Lady Demons (10-5) enter the contest riding momentum after a dominant 7–0 sweep last Saturday of Stephen F. Austin. The Ragin’ Cajuns (11-4) are coming off a 4–2 loss to Texas State.
Northwestern finishes its Southland Conference season at home Saturday, then Monday.
