NATCHITOCHES – The way Ridge Heisler started Friday night's Southland Conference game, it didn't look like he would be around to see the end.
 
Nevertheless, Heisler stood tall on the Brown-Stroud Field mound, celebrating his first complete game of the season and a 4-3 Northwestern State victory against New Orleans in the Demons' first home conference game of the season.
 
"When Ridge pitches like he does – he's been really good every time out – he gives you a chance," third-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. "The offense is coming. We're not splitting gaps like we know we can. It's going to come, and it's going to be really good when it does. It's good to have a guy like Ridge or Jerry (Maddox) on Saturday or Nate (Jones) on Sunday to hold the game for you while you wait."
 
Heisler (2-1) allowed a leadoff home run to Collin Morrill before turning into his typical stingy self.
 
After Tresten Kennard's leadoff single in the second, Heisler retired nine straight Privateers, allowing Northwestern State (9-6, 2-2) to put together some offense behind him.
 
The Demons had not scored a run for Heisler in his previous two starts but rectified that four batters into Friday's game as Caleb Ricca doubled with one out and scored on Peyton Davis' two-out single to tie things at 1.
 
Ricca, Northwestern State's leading hitter, remained hot, going 3-for-4 including his third home run in four games, a solo shot to right-center field in the third inning to give Northwestern State its first lead of the game.
 
"I just got good pitches to hit," said Ricca, who took over the team lead in home runs. "It doesn't mean it will be my day tomorrow, but I know my teammates will pick me up. You can't have your night every night. We had other guys swing the bat well. Jeff (Elkins) lined out three times. Sam (Taylor) had two lineouts. We're swinging the bat alright. We'll be good."
 
Heisler was good throughout Friday night's game.
 
Mixing his cutter and changeup, Heisler allowed only one earned run as New Orleans took advantage of a Demons error to cobble together a two-run sixth inning that gave the Privateers (10-6, 1-3) a short-lived 3-2 lead.
 
"It was the cutter, and the change-up was the secondary pitch," said Heisler, who struck out seven against only one walk. "They were two great pitches for me tonight."
 
Austin Stegall erased the Privateers' lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth off UNO starter Brandon Mitchell, who scattered six hits and three runs in seven innings.
 
For the second straight game, the Demons struck late against an opponent's bullpen.
 
A sixth-inning rally gave Northwestern State a 3-1 win against LSU on Tuesday while the eighth inning proved decisive Friday night.
 
Peyton Davis (2-for-4) greeted reliever Mathew Oset (2-1) with a sharp single to left before exiting for pinch runner Larson Fontenot. Tyler Smith's sacrifice bunt turned into a single when Smith poked it past a charging Antonio Gauthier at third.
 
Oset uncorked a wild pitch and walked Stegall to load the bases before the Privateers turned to closer Reeves Martin.
 
Martin struck out the first batter he faced before Chaney Dodge delivered the go-ahead fielder's choice that put the Demons up 4-3.
 
"That may be the best closer in the league they brought in to face Hayden (Brown), and Chaney," Barbier said. "Chaney moved the ball with two strikes. Make them make the play to get the go-ahead game. What a performance by our guys to stick with it to the end and do what they had to do to win."
 
Heisler helped give his teammates a chance to produce that eighth-inning rally, getting a key double play to end the top of the eighth. It came one inning after the Demons hit into a double play of their own, erasing a leadoff walk by Jakob Nunez in a time game in the seventh inning.
 
"It's huge," said Heisler, who threw 117 pitches (76 strikes) in his third career complete game. "I missed my sp0t with a cutter. He was early enough and rolled over right to Sam. I had all the confidence in him that he would make the play."
 
The series continues with a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday. Right-hander Jerry Maddox (0-0, 7.79) takes the mound for Northwestern State against New Orleans right-hander Chris Turpin (2-0 1.90).
 
Northwestern State 4, New Orleans 3
UNO      100 002 000 – 3 6 2
NSU       101 001 01x – 4 8 2
W – Ridge Heisler (2-1). L – Mathew Oset (2-1). 2B – UNO, Luther Woullard; Darren Willis. NSU, Caleb Ricca 2. HR – UNO, Collin Morrill (2). NSU, Ricca (3); Austin Stegall (1). Highlights: UNO, Tresten Kennard 2-4, RBI. NSU, Ricca 3-4, 2 2Bs, HR, RBI; Peyton Davis 2-4, RBI.
Records: New Orleans 10-6, 1-3; Northwestern State 9-6, 2-2.