NATCHITOCHES – In the first weekend start of his three-year Northwestern State career, Dawson Flowers put the Demons in position to hand first-year head coach Chris Bertrand his first victory as the NSU skipper.
 
What Flowers did for an encore was even more impressive.
 
Flowers, a senior right-hander making his third career start, handcuffed visiting Troy for six strong innings to set the tone for a 6-3 Northwestern State victory that clinched the Demons' first weekend series win of the season.
 
"The defense was working tremendously for me, and it gave me all the confidence in the world to go after guys," said Flowers, who allowed two hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out four. "(Pitching coach) Dan (Hlad) called a great game. We were mixing it in and out, up and down, everything we could do to keep them off balance. The offense gave me the support when I needed it, which allowed me to go out and do what I needed to do."
 
Behind Flowers' first career win as a starter, the Demons (4-7) held Troy to a season-low three hits. The Trojans (9-3) entered Saturday's game hitting .343 as a team.
 
For the second straight night, the Trojans struck first, tallying a pair of runs in the second inning – and for the second straight night, the Demons responded.
 
This time, the answer came immediately as freshman right fielder Colin Rains delivered a game-tying, two-run double past a diving Mikey Bello in right field. Rains has driven in four runs in his past three games after hitting his first career home run Wednesday night at UL Lafayette.
 
"They came out punching, obviously," said center fielder Reese Lipoma, who was involved in a pair of run-scoring plays. "They did the same thing (Friday) night, and we were able to come back from that. We did the same thing tonight. Colin has been a big part of our offense since he set foot here. He did the same thing tonight, and he'll continue to do the same thing the rest of the season."
 
Lipoma started the scoring in the Demons' three-run fifth inning that gave them the lead for good.
 
With Cole Hill on first following a leadoff single, Lipoma lined a base hit to left field off Dylan King (1-1) that allowed Hill to go from first to third. Lipoma drew a throw and ended up being tagged out in a rundown, but Hill beat first baseman Will Butcher's throw to snap the 2-all tie.
 
Three batters later, Daniel Burroway, making his first start since opening night, delivered a run-scoring double for an RBI that preceded a Cole Joyner sacrifice fly for his first RBI as well.
 
"We're playing with some grit, and we're playing with some resolve," Bertrand said. "We're playing with some really cool things right now. Burroway and Joyner in the lineup tonight and both contribute. How cool is that?"
 
That three-run inning proved to be enough for Flowers, who retired the final 11 Trojans he faced from the third through the sixth innings before Aidan Newton closed the game with three innings of one-run ball to earn his first career save.
 
"I can't say enough about Dawson and the job Aidan Newton did and the game Dan Hlad called," Bertrand said. "The work Dan puts in and the way he's answered the call. Dawson is just a grizzled veteran, willing to do anything we ask him to do. Give him the baseball, and the man is hungry. He wants to compete. The way Newt came in punching that thing, that's big time and really neat to see."
 
The series concludes with a 1 p.m. Sunday matchup. NSU will send freshman right-hander Dylan Marionneaux (0-1, 1.29) to the mound against Troy right-hander Clete Hartzog (2-0, 0.96).
 
Northwestern State 6, Troy 3
Troy      020 000 001 – 3 3 2
NSU     020 031 00x – 6 9 1
W – Dawson Flowers (1-0). L – Dylan King (1-1). S – Aidan Newton (1). 2B – Troy, Blake Sutton. NSU, Daniel Burroway, Colin Rains. HR – Troy, Will Butcher (3). Highlights: NSU, Burroway 2-4, 2B, RBI; Balin Valentine 2-4.
Records: Troy 9-3; Northwestern State 4-7.