NATCHITOCHES – The carryover effect was real.
 
Following their first three double-figure scoring efforts of the season, the Northwestern State baseball team decided to make it four straight offensive eruptions Tuesday night, tallying season highs in runs and hits in a 21-7 rout of visiting Lamar at Brown-Stroud Field.
 
"What a crazy game," sixth-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. "Runs are pouring in right now. We went for a couple of weeks where it was hard to cross the plate. It rewards those who stick with it. If you stick with it, fight through tough times and you get the rewards. We talked about moving past the tough times, now we have to move past this. We've got four games in three days coming up really quick."
 
The Demons (7-9) reached double figures in runs in four straight games for the first time since Feb. 28-March 5, 2010. Since breaking a 39 2-3-inning scoreless drought at ULM on March 9, the Demons have scored 78 runs in their past 27 offensive innings.
 
Northwestern State hit the double-figure mark in by the fifth inning Tuesday night, getting there on freshman first baseman Gray Rowlett's first career home run.
 
Rowlett's three-run home run down the left-field line was as important for his team as it was memorable for the third-generation NSU student-athlete whose father, Brannon, was a Demon linebacker and whose grandfather, Ed Dranguet, was a Demon baseball player.
 
"That was a huge half inning in the game," Barbier said. "We get the 6-0 lead and everyone's feeling good. They come back with the big homer (in the top of the fifth) to cut the lead in half and make it a new ballgame. We scored before, but Gray put the exclamation point on it. It really deflates the other side when you fight hard to get back in and we extend it again. We did that multiple times tonight, which is really good for us."
 
Rowlett had three of the Demons' season-high 20 hits and was one of five NSU hitters to post multiple hits. Ten different Demons scored and nine different NSU hitters drove in a run, led by Larson Fontenot's career-high-tying five RBIs.
 
Rowlett had his second four-RBI game in the past three games, easing into the team lead with 14 RBIs on the season. Rowlett's recent surge is emblematic of the Demons' offense, which has scored 76 runs in the first four games of its season-long, nine-game homestand.
 
"It's amazing," Rowlett said. "It's one of the best feelings I've had since I've been in baseball. It really helps that the team is super close and is involved in the game."
 
The Demons' early and consistent offensive surge gave sixth-year senior left-hander Cameron Taylor (2-0) a win in his first career start.
 
Taylor, who made 19 career relief appearances before Tuesday, turned in three shutout innings of one-hit ball in his designated short start before six Demon relievers worked the final six innings.
 
NSU took a 1-0 lead three batters into the game as Daunte Stuart doubled home Cameron Parikh, who led off the game with an infield single off Lamar starter Jacob Ellis (0-1). Fontenot capped the inning with a two-run single that put the Demons off and running.
 
Northwestern State scored multiple runs in six innings, including a seven-run eighth inning – their second seven-run inning in as many games.
 
Much like the final two games against Alcorn this past weekend, the Demons were both patient and productive, drawing 12 walks to go with their 20 hits.
 
Stuart's career-high five-hit game (5-for-6) topped the deep Demon offense while Fontenot went 4-for-6 and Rowlett was 3-for-5. Bryce Holmes (2-for-6, 3 RBIs) and Gabe Colaianni (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) each had two hits and a multi-RBI game.
 
"I'm really proud of how the guys fought through some adversity early in the season," Barbier said. "Our exit velocity has been better. The takes have been better. They're getting to that 50-60 at-bat mark where you see guys starting to hit better. We're getting ourselves into good counts and making the other team pay when we do."
 
Northwestern State's nine-game homestand continues Thursday when the Demons open a four-game series against South Dakota State. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Brown-Stroud Field.
 
Northwestern State 21, Lamar 7
LU           000 032 002 – 7 6 0
NSU       302 142 27x – 21 20 1
W – Cameron Taylor (2-0). L – Jacob Ellis (0-1). 2B – LU, Matthew McDonald. NSU, Daunte Stuart 2, Bryce Holmes, Larson Fontenot. 3B – NSU, Bryce Holmes, Gabe Colaianni. HR – LU, Kevin Bermudez (1). NSU, Gray Rowlett (1). Highlights: NSU, Rowlett 3-5, HR, 4 RBIs; Stuart 5-6, 2 2Bs, 2 RBIs; Holmes 2-6, 2B, 3B, 3 RBIs; Fontenot 4-6, 2B, 5 RBIs; Colaianni 2-3, 3B, 2 RBIs.
Records: Lamar 11-6; Northwestern State 7-9.