NATCHITOCHES – The pitching matchup between Northwestern State right-hander Chase Prestwich and Southeastern right-hander Brennan Stuprich produced a proper Friday night affair in the Southland Conference opener for both teams.
 
The Lions, however, were able to take advantage of a couple of Demon miscues and came away with a 5-0 win at Brown-Stroud Field behind a combined three-hit shutout from Stuprich and left-hander Jackson Rodriguez.
 
"I'm really proud of the way Chase threw the ball and the way Caleb Bunch threw the ball out of the bullpen for four innings," first-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. "Those guys competed their tails off, and the pitching gave us a chance to be in the ball game for however long we were in the ball game. I wish I had something magical to say, but defensively and offensively we didn't execute a clean brand of baseball or play an inspiring brand of baseball."
 
Prestwich (2-3) took a hard-luck loss despite surrendering three runs (two earned) in five-plus innings. The two earned runs came in the first inning when Jake Haze delivered a two-out, two-run double one batter after Ryan Brome's wind-aided double dropped in shallow left field.
 
A junior right-hander from Frederick, Colorado, Prestwich scattered six hits and deftly worked around traffic on the bases thanks to the help of six strikeouts. With runners on base, Prestwich limited the Lions (16-6, 1-0) to a 1-for-11 performance at the plate.
 
Because of Prestwich's ability to work his way out of jams, the Demons (5-17, 0-1) remained within striking distance for much of Friday's game.
 
Stuprich, a redshirt junior, limited NSU to two hits in seven innings – a leadoff third-inning single from Daniel Young and Samuel Stephenson's two-out single in the sixth – and did not allow a runner to reach scoring position.
 
"The overall mood of it kind of matched the weather so to speak," Bertrand said. "We didn't inspire anything to happen defensively or offensively, but we get a chance to play again tomorrow and again on Sunday. We have to learn from our mistakes. It doesn't change the belief we have. We have a chance to grow and learn, and we still have a chance to win a game tomorrow. We just have to come out and execute."
 
The Lions added a pair of unearned runs in the sixth inning as the Demons committed two two-out errors.
 
Conner O'Neal provided the final run of the game with a solo home run off Bunch in the eighth inning.
 
Clay Jung gave the Demons their third and final hit, a two-out double off Rodriguez in the ninth inning.
 
The series continues with a 2 p.m. Saturday matchup between Southeastern right-hander Dakota Lee (0-1, 5.32) and NSU right-hander Dawson Flowers (1-1, 6.64).
 
Southeastern 5, Northwestern State 0
SLU      200 002 010 – 5 9 1
NSU     000 000 000 – 0 3 2
W – Brennan Stuprich (2-2). L – Chase Prestwich (2-3). 2B – SLU, Ryan Brome, Jake Haze. NSU, Clay Jung. 3B – SLU, TJ Salvaggio. HR – SLU, Conner O'Neal (2). Highlights: SLU, Shea Thomas 2-5; TJ Salvaggio 2-4, 3B.
Records: Southeastern 16-6, 1-0; Northwestern State 5-17, 0-1.