JONESBORO, Ark. – The Northwestern State offense of the first two games of the series at Arkansas State went missing in action Sunday.
 
After amassing 28 hits in the first two games of the series with the Red Wolves, the Demons managed just three hits and fell 4-1 to Arkansas State in the series finale at Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field.
 
"I thought our at-bats today were really lethargic," fourth-year head coach Lane Burroughs said. "We walked seven times and struck out only three, but I didn't think we attacked the baseball like we have been."
 
The Demons (27-19) saw their season-long, eight-game win streak end against Arkansas State right-hander Peyton Culbertson (4-0), who made his first weekend start of the season.
 
Given a 1-0 lead thanks to an unearned run in the first inning, Culbertson set down the first eight Demons he faced.
 
Northwestern State began to wait out the Red Wolves right-hander, piecing together three walks and Daniel Garner's RBI infield single to tie the game in the fourth inning.
 
With the bases loaded and one out, Culbertson induced an inning-ending double play to keep the game tied.
 
A similar scenario played out an inning later as the Demons again loaded the bases with one out thanks to a pair of walks and a Red Wolves error. Once again, Culbertson got a double play to emerge unscathed.
 
"We had the bases loaded twice and hit into two double plays – that's your ball game right there," Burroughs said. "We had the opportunities. On a day like today with the wind blowing in, like the Sam Houston series, you're not going to get many scoring opportunities. Every ball in the air will hang, like Nick (Heath's) did to the end the game. You've got to find a way to get beneath the baseball and get it to the outfield (with the bases loaded) and not let the pitcher get beneath you."
 
The Red Wolves (21-25) took advantage of pair of leadoff errors in the first and the fifth innings, capitalizing both times to take a 2-1 lead off Evan Tidwell (4-3), who allowed two unearned runs in 4 1-3 innings.
 
Arkansas State gave itself some breathing room in the seventh on Jeremy Brown's two-out, two-run single that pushed the lead to 4-1.
 
The Demons return to action Tuesday when they host Louisiana Tech in the first of a home-and-home series. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Brown-Stroud Field. The Demons and Bulldogs will play in Ruston at 6 p.m. Wednesday to complete the season series.
  NSU       000 100 000 – 1 4 2
ASU       100 010 20x – 4 7 1
W – Peyton Culbertson (4-0) . L – Evan Tidwell (4-3). S – Bryan Ayers (1). 2B – NSU, Bret Underwood; Matt Valdez. ASU, Matt Burgess. Highlights: ASU, Jeremy Brown 2-3, 2 RBIs.
Records: Northwestern State 27-19; Arkansas State 21-25.