NATCHITOCHES – For a time earlier this season, the Northwestern State baseball team struggled to strand base runners.
 
That was not the case Friday night in a pivotal Southland Conference series opener against Nicholls.
 
Three Demon pitchers combined to strand 16 Colonels on base and Northwestern State made an early lead stand up in a 4-2 victory at Brown-Stroud Field.
 
"I thought about it around the sixth inning – we stranded some runners for once," seventh-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. "Some of that's good fortune and some of it is bearing down. We went through a stretch of about 10 games where it seemed like every runner who hit first base scored."
 
Left-hander Cal Carver (5-2) tossed his second straight quality start, scattering nine hits and allowing two runs in 6 2-3 innings while working around 12 total baserunners.
 
A senior from San Antonio, Carver struck out six while throwing 106 pitches – his second-highest total of the season. With the six strikeouts, Carver pushed his career total to 240, third-most in school history.
 
"It was a special one for Cal," Barbier said. "That's two starts in a row where he's been pretty good. He hit that extra gear later in the game that allowed him to get deep into the game and have us use only two relievers."
 
Carver found his strikeout stuff late in the game, striking out three Nicholls (23-17, 8-5) hitters in a four-batter span following MaCrae Kendrick's leadoff double in the sixth. That followed a pattern for Carver, who stranded multiple runners in five of his six full innings of work, as he authored NSU's fourth straight quality start in conference play.
 
"Getting late into games and turning it to the next gear when the team needs it the most is something I take a lot of pride in as a starter and as an older guy," Carver said. "Knowing I can turn it on when I need to is a good feeling."
 
The Demons (23-17, 8-5) gave Carver an early lead on freshman Michael Dattalo's first-inning RBI double and Daunte Stuart's RBI single.
 
Dattalo finished 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, boosting his season hit total to 58 through 39 games and raising his season batting average to .377.  
 
"Mike's been great all year," Barbier said. "We talk about him all the time. He's just a fantastic hitter."
 
While the Demons touched up Nicholls starter Devin Desandro (2-4) for four runs in 4 1-3 innings, both bullpens stood tall.
 
Northwestern State managed just one walk and two hit batters off relievers Gavin Galy and Arturo Rodriguez while Demon right-handers Chase Prestwich (1 1-3 scoreless innings) and Kyle Froelich struck out four in just 2 1-3 innings.
 
Prestwich followed Carver's example in the eighth, allowing a leadoff double to Wes Toups before striking out two of the next three hitters – including a pivotal punchout of Edgar Alvarez with runners on the corners and one out.
 
Froehlich entered after Prestwich hit Austin Cain to lead off the ninth and recorded the final three outs to notch his fifth save of the season and his first since March 30 at New Orleans.
 
"Kyle had a bit of a hiccup against Louisiana Tech here closing one out a few weeks ago," Barbier said. "He hasn't had as many opportunities in tight games so it was good to see him out there and do a great job filling up the strike zone."
 
The series continues at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Demons will send right-hander Alex Makarewich (4-3, 5.68) to the mound against Nicholls left-hander Michael Quevedo (3-0, 4.11).
 
Northwestern State 4, Nicholls 2
NICH     000 010 100 – 2 11 0
NSU       210 010 00x – 4 6 2
W – Cal Carver (5-2). L – Devin Desandro (2-4). S – Kyle Froehlich (5). 2B – NICH, MaCrae Kendrick, Wes Toups. NSU, Michael Dattalo 2. 3B – NICH, Xane Washington. Highlights: NICH, Washington 2-5, 3B; Gerardo Villareal 2-4; Austin Cain 2-3; Kendrick 2-3, RBI. NSU, Dattalo 2-3, 2 2Bs, RBI.
Records: Nicholls 23-17, 8-5; Northwestern State 22-17, 8-5.