NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State baseball team had three multi-run innings Wednesday night at Brown-Stroud Field, the same as visiting ULM.
 
The difference was the Warhawks were able to scratch out a few more runs in their big innings, which led to a 10-6 victory over the Demons in the second of three meetings this season between the teams.
 
"All 10 runs we gave up were with two outs," first-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. "We had 15 walks and HBPs. Six of the 10 runs that crossed home plates are gifts. In those three crooked numbers – not only all with two outs – but the five spot (in the second inning) was started with a two-out walk to the nine-hole hitter. I'm proud of the competitive spirit they showed and proud of the way they threw ball with some intent. It's just that we lacked in pitch execution."
 
On a night where both teams emptied their bullpens – the teams combined to throw 17 pitchers – ULM (15-14) was the team who was able to produce the biggest multi-run innings.
 
After NSU right-hander Austin Anderson (2-1) worked a scoreless first inning, the Warhawks took advantage of a pair of two-out walks to build a five-run second inning.
 
Down early, the Demons (10-20) began chipping back with Balin Valentine's first career home run – a two-out shot to right-center field in the second.
 
Northwestern State crept closer in the fifth inning when Reese Lipoma delivered a two-run, bases-loaded single off Davis Oswalt, whose throwing error helped load the bases. Oswalt was able to minimize the damage and maintain a lead for ULM by getting a fielder's choice and a double play.
 
"We did a really good job of getting eight hits and scoring some runs against a really good pitching staff," Bertrand said. "It's never easy when they're rolling one guy after another, because you get multiple looks. We had our moments, but we weren't able to get the big one."
 
ULM found that big one in the seventh inning on a two-out Bryce Blaser double and Jake Haggard's two-run single that pushed the lead to four.
 
After two bases-loaded walks in the ninth pushed the ULM lead to six, the Demons produced their best string of at-bats against the cadre of Warhawk pitchers.
 
Clay Jung led off the ninth against Trey Lindsay with a single and Colin Rains followed with a double before Rocco Gump singled them home to cut the lead to 10-6. Lindsay, however, got the second key double-play ball of the night off a Demon bat to scuttle the threat.
 
"We had a chance when it was 5-4 to either tie it or blow it open," Bertrand said. "We had some chances later on. For us, we have to continue to attempt to string quality at-bats together, and we have to eliminate where there were those non-competitive innings that gave them some confidence. The way we pitched the baseball today, we gave their offense some confidence. The way we played offense, we gave their pitching staff confidence. We never did anything as a team to really go and grab the ballgame."
 
Lipoma and Rains each went 2-for-4 and extended their career-long hitting streaks to eight and six games, respectively. Blaser and Haggard combined for five of ULM's 10 hits.
 
The Demons return to action Friday when they host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the opener of a three-game Southland Conference series. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
 
ULM 10, Northwestern State 6
ULM     050 000 302 – 10 10 1
NSU     002 020 002 – 6 8 0
W – Brandt Corley (2-1). L – Austin Anderson (2-1). 2B – ULM, Michelle Artzberger, Bryce Blaser, Jake Haggard. NSU, Colin Rains, Samuel Stephenson. HR – NSU, Balin Valentine (1). Highlights: ULM, Blaser 3-5, 2B, RBI; Haggard 2-5, 2B, 2 RBIs. NSU, Reese Lipoma 2-4, 2 RBIs; Rains 2-4, 2B.
Records: ULM 15-14; Northwestern State 10-20.