Box Score LAFAYETTE – When Northwestern State faced UL Lafayette in February, a four-run first inning was the Demons' undoing.
 
In the rematch Wednesday night, it was a five-run fifth inning that hurt the Demons and sent the Cajuns to an 8-2 victory at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field, ending Northwestern State's season-long, four-game win streak.
 
Leading 2-1, the Cajuns (7-5) loaded the bases with no outs before Brandon Stane induced a 5-2-3 double play to record the first two outs.
 
Nick Thurman, who went 3-for-5, followed the double play with an RBI single to left field before Joe Robbins reached on an error that scored two runs. Dylan Butler capped the inning with a two-run double to the left-center field gap.
 
"Stane was minimizing the inning, and we don't make a play," third-year head coach Lane Burroughs said. "It opens up the floodgates. That's what good teams do, and they have a good club."
 
The Demons (6-7) took their first lead of the season series against the Cajuns in the second inning. Chase Daughdrill extended his season-opening streak of reaching base to 13 games with a leadoff triple that a diving Butler could not handle in right field. It marked the second straight game with a triple for Daughdrill, who hit just one triple in his junior season.
 
Two pitches later, C.J. Webster lined a single to right-center field to score Daughdrill with Webster's team-leading ninth RBI of the season. However, Cajuns starter Connor Toups (1-0) did not allow another base runner in the inning, keeping the Demons' lead at 1-0.
 
The Cajuns answered NSU's run with one of their own in the second inning on a Butler sacrifice fly. Butler's RBI ended Northwestern State's scoreless innings streak at 25 2-3 innings, dating to the second game of the Feb. 28 doubleheader against Sacred Heart at Brown-Stroud Field.
 
UL Lafayette then took the lead for good with a run in the third off Jordan Shaffer (0-1).
 
Jam Williams led off the third with a walk before stealing second and third base. Williams scored on a sacrifice fly by Blake Trahan.
 
The Demons tacked on their final run in the ninth when Caleb Dugas drew a walk off Reagan Bazar and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Cort Brinson followed with an RBI single to right-center field to provide the final margin.
 
"I'm proud our guys for the way they competed," Burroughs said. "We've got to flush this one. WE didn't play well. We've got to get ready for Lamar because a new season starts Friday."
 
The Demons return to action on Friday when they start Southland Conference play at Lamar. First pitch for Friday's series opener is set for 6 p.m.
 NSU       010 000 001 – 2 6 2
UL Lafayette      011 051 00x – 8 10 2
W – Connor Toups (1-0). L – Jordan Shaffer (0-1). 2B – ULL, Blake Trahan; Nick Thurman; Dylan Butler. 3B – NSU, Chase Daughdrill. Highilghts: ULL, Trahan 2-3, 2B, RBI; Thurman 3-5, 2B, RBI; Butler 2B, 3 RBIs.
Records: Northwestern State 6-7; UL Lafayette 7-5.