NATCHITOCHES – For much of the first month of the season, the Northwestern State baseball team was searching for complementary baseball.
 
The Demons found it for at least one night.
 
Freshman left-hander Brody Trosclair stifled Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's offense and Northwestern used home runs from Joe Siervo and Thomas Marsala III to score a 5-1 victory in the Southland Conference series opener at Brown-Stroud Field.
 
"It's unbelievable by Tros right there," third-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. "It's impressive, because the performance was awesome, but what was even more impressive was the way he responded all night long, considering that was his first start. He responded when he gave up a run in the first, which wasn't on him. He responded in the third when he had walk, walk to start the inning. An incredible performance, because that's how talented he is. For somebody in his first Friday-night start, when the ball club needed him most, to be that responsive, that kid is special and he's a weapon."
 
Trosclair (3-0) made his first career start a memorable one.
 
After allowing a first inning run and scattering four hits through the first two innings, Trosclair walked the first two hitters of the third inning before delivering arguably his biggest pitch of the game.
 
Trosclair turned a 1-2 pitch to Jackson Smith into a 4-6-3 double play that seemed to settle the freshman into the game. The twin killing began a run of 12 straight retired by Trosclair.
 
Trosclair worked 6 1-3 innings, scattering four hits and a run while striking out a career-high eight. 

"I didn't have many nerves," Trosclair said. "My teammates had my back since they heard about it. It was more of a go get a win thing. (The double play) was amazing. I was told to pitch to contact. I did just that, and they made it look really good."
 
Northwestern's offense had Trosclair's back.
 
Down 1-0 after a half inning, the Demons (11-7, 4-3) took advantage of some shaky defense by the Islanders (10-8, 0-3) to score a pair of runs off starter Preston Watkins (0-1), who left the game after two innings with an injury.
 
Reliever Easten Smith covered the next five innings, allowing only Siervo's leadoff home run in the fourth inning.
 
Siervo's third home run of the season made it a 3-1 game – a score that held until Marsala jumped the first pitch he saw from Pierre-Luc Jacques in the eighth inning and drilled a titanic two-run home run to right field.
 
It marked the second time this season for Siervo and Marsala, who played together last season at Western Kentucky, to homer in the same game, highlighting the duo's friendly competition.
 
"I told myself I had to move off the plate, because they'd been busting the ball inside the whole game," Marsala said. "I got a pitch that I was able to put a good swing on it in that spot. Joe doesn't let me live down the fact that he hit more (home runs) than me last year, so I can never let him get above me again."
 
The series continues at 2 p.m. Saturday with a matchup of right-handers. Northwestern State will send junior Dylan Marionneaux (0-2, 5.31) to the mound against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Nathan Mueller (0-1, 5.65).
 
Northwestern State 5, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 1
AMCC 100 000 000 – 1 5 2
NSU     200 100 02x – 5 9 0
W – Brody Trosclair (3-0). L – Preston Watkins (0-1). S – Wesley Marien (1). 2B – NSU, Sebastian Huerta. 3B – NSU, Brooks Leonard. HR – NSU, Joe Siervo (3), Thomas Marsala III (5). Highlights: AMCC, Hunter Azemar 2-3. NSU, Leonard 2-4, 3B; Marsala 2-4, HR, 3 RBIs; Siervo 2-3, HR, RBI.
Records: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 10-8, 0-3; Northwestern State 11-7, 4-3.