Box Score Box score, play-by-play

RUSTON – Northwestern State's extra-inning counterpunch was lethal Wednesday night.
 
The Demons weathered Louisiana Tech's bottom of the ninth rally, getting an inning-ending, game-saving double play with the potential winning run on third base, then plated a pair of runs in the next at-bat for a 6-4 10-inning college baseball triumph over the Bulldogs.
 
After an eventful ninth inning that started 2-2 and ended 4-all, Kelsey Richard doubled in the go-ahead run after Tyler Smith was hit by a one-out pitch and moved to second on a base hit by Sam Taylor. Caleb Ricca delivered a sacrifice fly plating Taylor for an insurance run, and Jose Vasquez caught three straight hitters looking in the bottom half to earn a hard-fought decision.

NSU (5-3) won in extra innings for the second time in four games. The Demons had only one extra-inning victory all of last season.
 
Richard and Ricca each had two RBI to help sink the Bulldogs to 5-4 overall.
 
"Very proud of the way they fought, even after giving up two in the bottom of the ninth," said Demons' coach Bobby Barbier. "It was a good team win. We find out more about the team every day. We learned tonight that they're willing to fight, and they want to be in the moment. They put some things behind them early in the game and kept battling."
 
The Demons never trailed, and were poised to prevail after RBI singles by Richard and Austin Stegall in the top of the ninth for a 4-2 lead. A few minutes later, they on the brink of defeat with one out in the bottom half at J.C. Love Field.
 
Louisiana Tech opened with singles from Mason Robinson and Wells, who moved into scoring position on a bunt from Dalton Skelton. Third-hole hitter Mason Mallard lashed a triple to tie the score.
 
Barbier then ordered an intentional walk of the Bulldogs' cleanup hitter, Chris Clayton, by Vasquez (2-0), who entered at the start of the inning after a strong 4 1/3 inning outing from Dan Hlad.
 
On a 1-2 count, Parker Bates grounded to Taylor at second, who flipped to Ricca for the out at second, and Ricca's throw was in time to complete the twin killing and send the game to extras knotted at 4.
 
"Goes to show you how it's never over until it's over," said Barbier, deflecting credit for ordering the intentional pass. "It was looking pretty grim having a two-run lead wiped out, and the winning run at third and one out. Jose made a really good pitch, and Sam Taylor did a good job turning it."
 
NSU got two-hit nights from Stegall, Smith, Luke Watson and Richard in an 11-hit attack, and the Demons were flawless defensively as they turned a pair of double plays.
 
The visitors moved ahead in the second when Smith singled, stole second and scored on a double by Watson. Louisiana Tech answered in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Logan Bailey.
 
The teams traded runs in the seventh. NSU went up 3-2 after Watson's two-out single, a walk drawn by Richard, and a run-producing Ricca base hit, his first knock since opening day. But the Bulldogs opened the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer from Wells, and threatened to take the lead.
 
With the go-ahead run at second and one out, rightfielder Smith snatched a fly ball and gunned down a Louisiana Tech runner at third to thwart the Bulldogs.
 
While taking the short-lived 4-2 lead in the ninth, the Demons loaded the bases with two gone, but could not convert, leaving room for a rally, one that NSU weathered.                  
 
"We used quite a few players today, went into our bench and I liked the way they responded," said Barbier. "Dan Hlad (using only 39 pitches, facing 16 hitters in his vital relief outing) was tremendous keeping the game where it was."
 
NSU, with series wins over Binghamton and Penn, enters the third weekend of the season on the road at Arkansas-Little Rock with a three-game set beginning Friday afternoon at 3. It's the next portion of a nine-game stretch away from Brown-Stroud Field for the Demons, who aren't home again until March 13.