ARLINGTON, Texas – The Northwestern State baseball team is in the midst of a run of déjà vu.
 
For the third straight game, the Demons had their chances offensively only to see an opponent make a handful of stellar defensive plays to keep NSU off the scoreboard.
 
UT Arlington did it Sunday, edging the Demons 1-0 at Clay Gould Ballpark, manufacturing the game's only run in the fifth inning and seeing its bullpen make it stand.
 
"It's a tough one," sixth-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. "They've all been tough. We haven't had much good luck. It's the way this game can go sometimes."
 
Northwestern State (3-8) doubled up the Mavericks (4-6) in the hit column. In a game that featured nine singles, the Demons had six of them
 
As has been the case for much of the past week, NSU struck several balls that appeared headed for extra bases only to see a defender take them away.
 
Bo Willis was victimized twice in the first four innings Sunday by a pair of UTA center fielders. David VanVooren ranged far to his right to take away a potential Willis double in the second inning, making a diving catch that knocked VanVooren out of the game.
 
Two innings later, Willis' drive to the right-center gap was run down by Nick Pierce, who replaced VanVooren.
 
Pierce also played a key role in the lone run of the game.
 
Locked in a scoreless tie in the fifth, UTA's Tyler Rice drew a leadoff walk from Drayton Brown (0-2) and was sacrificed to second by Boone Montgomery. Price broke up Brown's no-hitter with a one-out single to right, moving Rice to third before he scored on Justin Marino's RBI groundout.
 
That was the lone blemish against Brown, who worked a career-long six innings, allowing one hit and one run, taking a hard-luck loss.
 
"Drayton threw the ball really well," Barbier said of his sophomore right-hander, who gave the Demons their third straight quality start. "It was the first time his body was moving really well like we're used to seeing. That's good for us."
 
Left-hander Cameron Taylor and right-hander Andrew Cossio completed the three-hitter by recording the final six outs for the Demons.
 
The Demon staff kept the offense in striking range as NSU seemed to solve UTA starter Gray Bailey (2-0) in the sixth.
 
Reese Lipoma led off the inning with his first career hit, an infield single, and Cam Sibley worked an eight-pitch walk to drive Bailey from the game.
 
Reliever Tanner King gave up a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over before Montgomery stabbed Gray Rowlett's hard-hit grounder down the third-base line and threw out Lipoma at home. After King hit Daunte Stuart to load the bases, Willis grounded into an inning-ending fielder's choice.
 
NSU put the potential tying run on base with one or fewer outs in the final two innings, but King wiggled out of trouble each time to cap his first save of the season.
 
"We've got to stick with it and keep playing hard," Barbier said. "We played hard today. We played pretty good defense. We've got to keep going, and it will turn for us.
 
"I told the team after that the game will reward you if you stick with it. It won't reward you if you give in. If you stick with it, guys who are tough in these times will get rewarded."
 
The Demons return to action Tuesday at ULM, capping a run of five games away from Brown-Stroud Field. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Warhawk Field.
 
UT Arlington 1, Northwestern State 0
NSU       000 000 000 – 0 6 0
UTA       000 010 00x – 1 3 0
W – Gray Bailey (2-0). L – Drayton Brown (0-2). S – Tanner King (1).
Records: Northwestern State 3-8; UT Arlington 4-6.