ARLINGTON, Texas – For the first time this season, a Northwestern State baseball starting pitcher went seven innings Saturday.
 
Unfortunately for Johnathan Harmon and the Demons, Nebraska right-hander Shay Schanaman went all nine, spinning a complete-game, three-hit shutout in a 6-0 Huskers win at Clay Gould Ballpark.
 
"We've got to get in there and really try to figure out how to manufacture a few runs," sixth-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. "We've had the fortune of facing really good arms a few games in a row. That's good for us. That's the game, and it will make us better in the end. We've just got to figure out how to make a few adjustments faster in the game."
 
Harmon (1-1) nearly matched Schanaman, allowing two earned runs in seven innings. It was Harmon's longest outing of the season and the deepest he pitched in a game since going eight innings against Nicholls on April 24, 2021.
 
The Huskers clipped Harmon for a run in the second after a wild throw on a fielder's choice allowed the inning to continue and set up Garrett Anglim's two-out RBI single to left.
 
NSU's defense committed two errors behind Harmon in the fifth, allowing Nebraska (3-7) to put up a three-run frame. All three runs in the inning were unearned as the Huskers built a 4-0 lead.
 
Given the extra outs, Nebraska turned to its hit-and-run game to put pressure on the Demons (3-7).
 
Harmon worked seven innings, scattering six hits and allowing five runs (two earned).
 
"Johnny was really good," Barbier said. "He competed really hard for us, threw multiple pitches for strikes like he has three times in a row. He's turning the corner. Getting into the seventh was something he hadn't done yet this season, mainly because of pitch counts."
 
Schanaman's pitch count was not an issue Saturday, as the right-hander needed 95 pitches to complete the three-hitter.
 
NSU hitters saw just two three-ball counts – both during Larson Fontenot at-bats. Fontenot drew the lone walk off Schanaman and reached on an error after working a 3-1 count to start the fifth.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, Fontenot reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Gabe Colaianni before Schanaman retired the next two Demons.
 
Daunte Stuart had two of the Demons' three hits – singles in the first and ninth innings – while Bryce Holmes' fourth-inning single was the only other hit for Northwestern State.
 
The Demons wrap up their second straight weekend in Arlington at 1 p.m. Sunday when they face host UT Arlington. Right-hander Drayton Brown (0-1, 5.59) takes the mound for NSU against UTA left-hander Gray Bailey (1-0, 1.29).
 
Nebraska 6, Northwestern State 0
NSU       000 000 000 – 0 3 2
Nebraska             010 030 01x – 6 8 1
W – Shay Schanaman (1-2). L – Johnathan Harmon (1-1). Highlights: NSU, Daunte Stuart 2-4. NU, Leighton Banjoff 2-3.
Records: Northwestern State 3-7, Nebraska 3-7.