RUSTON – The Northwestern State baseball team found a little more execution in Saturday's second of a three-game series at Louisiana Tech.
The Demons, however, needed a little crisper execution down the stretch as the homestanding Bulldogs rallied late for the second straight game to take a 7-5 decision at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
"We continue to be proud of their fight, continue to be proud of the competitiveness," first-year head coach
Chris Bertrand said. "We executed well in spots throughout the game. Now, it's about finding consistency. It becomes being better in the moments that decide the game. We talked (Friday) about those execution moments. We had opportunities to extend the lead, and we had opportunities to prevent runs from coming in, and we just couldn't pull either of them off."
Early in the middle game of the series, the Demons (5-14) executed well as the teams exchanged offensive flurries.
Down 1-0 after a two-base error helped set up the Bulldogs' first run, Northwestern State responded with a three-run inning, highlighted by
Daniel Young's two-run single.
Louisiana Tech (15-5) wasted no time answering themselves, taking advantage of a one-out walk to set up Kasten Furr's two-run single that tied the game. Northwestern State right-handers
Dawson Flowers and
Aidan Newton (0-2) issued four walks Saturday, and the Bulldogs cashed in three of those.
"They scored runs in five of their offensive innings, and walks allowed three of those rallies to happen," Bertrand said. "Against a phenomenal baseball team like that for us – a team that is looking to break out – we need to be better in those pitch execution moments and in the big execution moments."
The pendulum game swung back to the Demons in the third as
Samuel Stephenson, starting his second game in the No. 2 spot in the lineup, drilled a leadoff home run to regain the lead. Stephenson went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs, including the final run for the Demons in the fifth inning.
In that frame, Northwestern State flashed its ability to do the little things on offense as Stephenson led off the inning with a single off left-hander Connor Nation (1-0) and moved to second on
Rocco Gump's sacrifice bunt.
Three batters later,
Clay Jung won a left-on-left battle, shooting a go-ahead RBI single to left to put the Demons ahead 5-4.
"Sam and the rest of those guys, we're play with a lineup that gives us a little more length, and I think it's working," Bertrand said. "Nine runs last night, and five runs and six hits against a really, really good pitching staff on a Saturday. Some of the things we are tinkering with are working."
A walk set up the Bulldogs' final go-ahead rally in the seventh.
Newton allowed a leadoff single then started a double play off the bat of Logan McLeod, leaving Louisiana Tech with the bases empty and two outs before Kasten Furr drew a four-pitch walk. Cole McConnell followed with a go-ahead, two-run home run to put the Bulldogs ahead to stay.
Northwestern State drew a pair of one-out walks against closer Ethan Bates in the eighth but a base-running mistake turned an infield fly into a double play before Bates closed the door with a perfect ninth inning.
The series concludes Sunday with a 2 p.m. start – backed up one hour because of projected rain in the area. NSU will send freshman right-hander
Dylan Marionneaux (0-3, 4.70) to the mound against Louisiana Tech right-hander Turner Swistak (2-0, 5.79).
Louisiana Tech 7, Northwestern State 5
NSU 031 010 000 – 5 6 1
LT 121 000 21x – 7 8 1
W – Connor Nation (1-0). L –
Aidan Newton (0-2). S – Ethan Bates (5). 2B – NSU,
Balin Valentine. LT, Dalton Davis, Adarius Myers, Logan McLeod. HR – NSU,
Samuel Stephenson (2). LT, Cole McConnell (6). Highlights: NSU, Stephenson 2-4, HR, RBI. LT, Davis 2-3, 2B, RBI.
Records: Northwestern State 5-14; Louisiana Tech 15-5.
