Box Score RUSTON – Northwestern State nearly dug out from the deficit produced by one Louisiana Tech grand slam Tuesday night.
 
A second Bulldogs grand slam, however, left the Demons unable to fully battle back, as Louisiana Tech completed a season sweep of Northwestern State with a 13-8 victory at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
 
"You can't overcome two grand slams," third-year coach Lane Burroughs said. "If you would have told me we'd get eight runs and 11 hits, I would have thought we would have left with a win tonight. You can't overcome an eight spot and a five spot. That's too much to ask of our hitters."
 
Northwestern State (29-20) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a Nick Heath RBI groundout and a run-scoring Louisiana Tech error before the Bulldogs (24-25) struck for eight two-out runs in the bottom of the second.
 
Zac Burger's grand slam highlighted the inning, driving home the final four runs of the frame.
 
The Demons clawed back into the game, scoring two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, including Nick Heath's first home run of his career in the 4^th inning and Cort Brinson's team-leading eighth home run of the season in the fifth.
 
David Fry's two-out RBI single in the fifth cut the Bulldogs lead to 8-6 before Louisiana Tech responded with its second big inning of the game.
 
The Bulldogs got a leadoff single from Jacob Derouen before Thomas Simoneaux laid down a sacrifice bunt that turned into an infield single. Chandler Hall then squared to bunt and was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
 
After Bryce Stark drew a bases-loaded walk to establish a three-run lead, Colby Johnson jumped the first pitch from Josh Morris and turned it into Louisiana Tech's second grand slam of the game, riding it out to right field to put the Bulldogs up 13-6.
 
Northwestern State answered with a single run in the sixth, as Chase Daughdrill drew a bases-loaded walk, but left the bases loaded.
 
The 13 runs allowed were a season high for the Demons, who surrendered double-figure runs for the first time this season.
 
All nine Demons starters had at least one hit, as NSU collected double-figure hits for the fifth time in the last six games.
 
Brinson and Heath had multi-hit games for the Demons. Brinson went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Heath had the first home run of his career and a career-best four RBIs, capped by a run-scoring, two-out double in the ninth inning.
 
"Our hitters are really swinging the bats well," Burroughs said. "They're playing with confidence. They're playing loose. They feel like they can come back. We were climbing back. We cut it to 8-6, then we give up a five spot. We've got to flush this. We're worried about Nicholls and winning the Southland Conference Tournament."
 
The Demons return home for the first time in nearly a month when they host Nicholls on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the opener of the three-game, regular-season series finale. Northwestern State has not played a game in Natchitoches since defeating Central Arkansas on April 19.
 Northwestern State       020 221 001 – 8 11 0
Louisiana Tech   080 050 00x – 13 14 1
W – Braden Bristo (4-2). L – Evan Tidwell (2-4). 2B – NSU, C.J. Webster, Garrett Logan. LT, Taylor Nichols, Jacob Derouen. HR – NSU, Cort Brinson (8), Nick Heath (1); LTU, Bryce Stark (4), Zac Burger (2), Colby Johnson (3). Highlights: NSU, Brinson 2-4, HR, RBI; Heath 2-5, 2B HR, 4 RBIs; LT, Stark 2-2, HR, 3 RBIs; Johnson GS, 4 RBIs; Bre'shon Kimbell 3-5, RBI; Nichols 2-4; Burger GS, 4 RBIs; Derouen 2-5, 2B; Thomas Simoneaux 2-4.
Records: Northwestern State 29-20; Louisiana Tech 24-25.