HAMMOND – For the second straight night, free bases set up a rally that handed the Northwestern State baseball team a Southland Conference loss.
Southeastern took advantage of two walks, a hit batter and a two-run wild pitch to build a pivotal sixth-inning rally that lifted it to a 7-5 victory against the visiting Demons at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field on Friday night.
The three-run frame answered a three-run inning from Northwestern State (27-24, 12-11) in the top of the sixth that erased a two-run lead for the Lions (24-25, 8-14).
Down 4-2 following Jake Killingsworth's grand slam in the fifth, the Demons took advantage of the second error of the game from Southeastern shortstop TJ Salvaggio to post their three-run inning.
Bailyn Sorensen's two-out RBI single off the glove of SLU third baseman Shea Thomas scored
Jake Haze from second before Salvaggio threw wildly on a grounder from
Reese Lipoma to keep the inning alive.
Jeffrey Elkins drew a walk off reliever Hunter O'Toole before the Lions turned to left-hander Adam Guth (1-1).
Gabe Colaianni greeted Guth with a two-run single through the right side to regain the lead for the Demons, who had a 2-0 advantage before Killingsworth's grand slam.
For the second straight night, a decisive Lion rally started with the Demons retiring the leadoff hitter as
Dawson Flowers (1-3) got Salvaggio to ground out to short.
Sorensen erased Clay Cook, who walked, on a stolen base attempt before Dane Watts drew his second straight walk and stole second base.
Following Rhett Rosevear's infield single to load the bases, the Lions scored two runs on a wild pitch and a throwing error to build a two-run lead.
From three, three Southeastern relievers – Guth, Dalton Aspholm and Connor Spencer – worked three scoreless innings, allowing only two base runners to close out the game.
Haze and Sorensen each had two hits for NSU, which outhit the Lions 7-6 but committed three errors.
"We've had games where we didn't play well and come back out and played well the next day," seventh-year head coach
Bobby Barbier said. "We just have come out and play clean, play free."
While the Demons have clinched their spot in next week's Southland Conference Tournament, Saturday's game will determine seeding for the seven-team event.
Northwestern State will go into the regular-season finale in a four-way tie for third place in league play alongside Lamar, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and New Orleans. The Demons took series wins against the Cardinals and Privateers while they dropped the series against the Islanders.
NSU also will be a game behind UIW, which has split its first two games with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Demons have the tiebreaker with the Cardinals.
The series concludes with a 2 p.m. Saturday first pitch.
Drayton Brown (5-6, 5.93) will start for Northwestern State while Southeastern will send right-hander Brennan Stuprich (4-5, 6.60) to the mound.
Southeastern 7, Northwestern State 5
NSU 000 113 000 – 5 7 3
SLU 000 043 00x – 7 6 2
W – Adam Guth (1-1). L –
Dawson Flowers (1-3). S – Connor Spencer (3). HR – SLU, Jake Killingsworth (1). Highlights: NSU,
Jake Haze 2-3;
Bailyn Sorensen 2-4, RBI. SLU, Rhett Rosevear 2-5.
Records: Northwestern State 27-24, 12-11; Southeastern 24-25, 8-14.
