ARLINGTON, Texas – The Northwestern State baseball team knew what to expect from Oklahoma's pitching staff this weekend.
 
The Demons saw it again Sunday evening in a 5-1 loss to the Sooners at Globe Life Field as Oklahoma pitchers struck out 16 hitters.
 
"Their pitching staff is elite," sixth-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. "I've seen a lot of baseball games in a lot of different leagues and as far as pure stuff and commanding the zone, it's pretty good. Left-handed, right-handed. The guy who closed the game is 96 (mph), and he's the 10^th guy out of the bullpen this weekend. I liked the way we fought and competed. It will make us better down the road.
 
"Now, it's just about moving on and not letting some of the offensive stuff bog us down and being ready to go Tuesday."
 
Despite allowing leadoff singles in each of the first two innings, Sooners left-hander Chazz Martinez (1-0) settled in and smothered the NSU offense with a low-90s fastball for seven scoreless innings.
 
Martinez fanned 14 hitters, allowing three hits and one walk in that time. After Larson Fontenot led off the game with an infield single, Martinez got a double play and then struck out seven of the next eight Demon hitters, setting the tone for a dominant outing.
 
Right-hander Drayton Brown (0-1) wiggled out of a first-inning jam after 29 pitches but could not escape trouble in the second as Jackson Nicklaus connected on a two-run home run that gave Martinez all the run support he needed.
 
The Sooners (5-2) added single runs in the third and fifth off Brown before Northwestern State's bullpen kept the Demons (3-3) within striking distance late.
 
Once Martinez' pitch count neared 100 – he threw 97 pitches in his outing – the Demons went to work against his replacement Griffin Miller.
 
Down 5-0 in the eighth, NSU saw pinch hitter Gabe Colaianni reach on an error and Jake Haze single to start the inning. A one-out single from Fontenot loaded the bases.
 
Gray Rowlett's sacrifice fly produced the Demons' lone run of the game.
 
"We finally got (Martinez) out of the game and had some good at-bats in a row," Barbier said. "It's good to see we didn't lay down. Bases loaded for them late in the game, and we bring in some guys who hadn't pitched yet this year. They got the job done. We know we're going to need those guys, and they deserve to be out there. It's important for them to get out there and get their feet wet ahead of this mid-week series."
 
In addition to Fontenot's 2-for-4 performance, Broch Holmes went 2-for-4 with a double. Both of Holmes' hits came off Martinez.
 
Peyton Graham (2-for-5, home run) and Blake Robertson (2-for-3) each had multi-hit games for Oklahoma, which out-hit NSU 8-5.
 
The Demons return to action Tuesday, hosting UL Lafayette at 6 p.m. It will be the first mid-week game of the season for Northwestern State.
 
Oklahoma 5, Northwestern State 1
NSU       000 000 010 – 1 5 1
Oklahoma           021 010 10x – 5 8 1
W – Chazz Martinez (1-0). L – Drayton Brown (0-1). 2B – NSU, Broch Holmes. OU, Blake Robertson. HR – OU, Jackson Nicklaus (1), Peyton Graham (2). Highlights: NSU, Larson Fontenot 2-4; Holmes 2-4 2B. OU, Graham 2-5, HR, RBI; Robertson 2-3, 2B; Nicklaus HR, 2 RBIs.
Records: Northwestern State 3-3; Oklahoma 5-2.