LAFAYETTE – A big first inning put the Northwestern State baseball team in comeback mode early Wednesday night at UL Lafayette.
 
A few innings later, a similar situation sealed the Demons' fate in a 14-4 loss to the Ragin' Cajuns at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
 
In both innings – two frames in which the Cajuns scored 13 of their 14 runs – self-inflicted wounds led to multiple unearned runs against the Demons (2-7).
 
"It's another one of those things where we're going to take the accountability and responsibility for what is taking place, and we are going to wake up tomorrow morning and go back to work," first-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. "That's the only thing we can do. That's the only thing we know how to do. I have all the confidence in the world they are going to respond and continue to compete, but we are very well aware of what needs to happen and the changes that need to be made – that is a cleaner brand of baseball."
 
Two of the Demons' three errors on the night helped set up a two-homer, seven-RBI game from Cajun shortstop Kyle DeBarge, whose two-out grand slam capped a nine-run first inning off NSU starter Tyler Nichol (0-1).
 
The Demons' final error in the seventh allowed DeBarge to punctuate the night with a game-ending three-run home run with two outs in the seventh. All seven runs DeBarge drove in were unearned as NSU allowed eight total unearned runs.
 
In between, Northwestern State showed its resiliency and a bullpen that continues to take steps forward.
 
Freshman right fielder Colin Rains connected on his first career home run, a two-run shot off Cajun starter Murphy Brooks (1-0) in the second inning.
 
After putting up a zero in the second inning, NSU freshman right-handed pitcher Kevin Robinson worked around a three-base error with two outs in the third inning to give him two shutout innings in his collegiate debut.
 
Robinson's outing was followed by two more shutout innings from junior right-hander Adam Alexis, who retired six of the seven batters he faced.
 
In the interim, senior catcher Bo Willis added to his growing career resume against the Cajuns (5-3) with a two-out, two-run single in the fifth that cut the lead to 9-4. Willis, who went 2-for-4, now has 11 RBIs in four career games against the Cajuns.
 
"Right now, it's not a complementary brand of baseball," Bertrand said. "We are very excited about the things we should be excited about, and we are very proud about the good things we show – the continued fight and the continued competitiveness and the development. We just need to get to the point to where the pitching complements the defense and the defense complements the pitching and the offense complements both of those."
 
Willis and Reese Lipoma each went 2-for-4 to combine for four of the Demons' six hits on the night.
 
The Demons return to action Friday when they host Troy in the opener of a three-game series. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Brown-Stroud Field.
 
UL Lafayette 14, Northwestern State 4 (7 innings)
NSU     020 020 0 – 4 6 3
UL Lafayette 900 001 4 – 14 9 1
W – Murphy Brooks (1-0). L – Tyler Nichol (0-1). 2B – UL Lafayette, Conor Higgs. HR – NSU, Colin Rains (1). UL Lafayette, Kyle DeBarge 2 (3). Highlights: NSU, Reese Lipoma 2-3; Bo Willis 2-4, 2 RBIs. UL Lafayette, DeBarge 3-5, 2 HRs, 7 RBIs; Higgs 2-4, 2B, RBI.
Records: Northwestern State 2-7; UL Lafayette 5-3.