STARKVILLE, Miss. (WNTZ) – Northwestern State’s young squad made a statement Sunday afternoon, delivering a 5-0 shutout victory over No. 20 Mississippi State.

Facing a formidable SEC opponent, the Demons (3-17) showcased resilience and confidence, led by freshman pitcher Brooklynn Stohler, who tossed a complete-game shutout. The win marked Northwestern State’s first over a ranked team since 2004 and its first against an SEC opponent since 2016.

“As a coaching staff, we are so proud of our team today because they showed so much heart and were really gritty,” first-year head coach Jenny Fuller said. “That started in the circle with Brooklynn. She did really well against them yesterday, so they knew she was going to get the ball again. We developed a really good game plan and executed it. I’m so proud of our team for really believing they could do it the whole game.”

Stohler Dominates in the Circle

One day after holding Mississippi State (18-3) to three runs in a one-run loss, Stohler took the mound again with confidence. She allowed just three hits and struck out 17 batters while throwing only 81 pitches in her first career shutout.

“I had a game plan going into the game,” Stohler said. “I knew that in order to keep them off the board, I would have to stick to it and trust my defense. I am so proud of them. The outfield was a no-fly zone, and there were no errors. It wouldn’t have been possible without everyone.”

Stohler retired nine consecutive batters from the first through fourth innings and induced 17 fly-ball outs. She remained dominant even after surrendering a double in the first inning, keeping the Bulldogs off balance.

Timely Offense Secures Signature Win

The Demons capitalized on early mistakes by Mississippi State and added late insurance runs to seal the victory.

A throwing error and wild pitch in the second inning allowed Cameron Curtis to advance to third base before scoring on another errant pitch for a 1-0 lead.

In the sixth inning, pinch-runner Aly Delafield scored on an RBI double from Savannah Coleman, who drove a ball into the left-center gap. Curtis followed with an RBI single, and Sophia Livers delivered a two-run single through the right side to extend the lead to 5-0.

“Savannah had looked good in her previous at-bats, so I had the utmost confidence in her,” Fuller said. “To be able to score some insurance runs and take pressure off Brooklynn was huge.”

Mississippi State threatened in the bottom of the sixth after a leadoff double, but Stohler remained composed. Following a brief mound visit from Fuller, she induced three consecutive fly-ball outs to escape unscathed.

Momentum Heading into Conference Play

With a signature win under their belt, the Demons aim to carry momentum into conference play.

“This can definitely give us momentum, especially heading into conference,” Fuller said. “Knowing you can beat the No. 20-ranked team at their place shows that we can probably beat anybody out there.”

Livers and Curtis each collected two hits and contributed to all five of Northwestern State’s runs in the game. The Demons have now won three of the past four meetings with Mississippi State.