NATCHITOCHES – After a six-run sixth inning, it appeared the Northwestern State baseball team was on its way to a decisive victory in Sunday's Southland Conference series finale against New Orleans.
 
However, as per their modus operandi, the Demons allowed the Privateers to make things interesting before Lucas Harrington closed out a 6-5 series-clinching win for Northwestern.
 
"It's not Demon baseball (to do it the easy way), but I think it's pride and it's balance," third-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. "We're very proud of the way we found a way to win. We overcame some things and found a way to put up zeroes and hang on. You win a conference series. You win one at home. There's so much to be proud about.
 
"The balance part of it is that we obviously have some baseball things we have to do better."
 
The first five and a half innings of Sunday's game were reserved for the starting pitchers as New Orleans left-hander Riley Marcotte and Northwestern right-hander Trent Hillen kept the game scoreless until the bottom of the sixth.
 
The Demons (15-9, 8-4) broke through first as Ethan Menard's leadoff double sparked a six-run uprising.
 
Menard's shot to the right-center field gap and Thomas Marsala III's groundout to second forced Marcotte from the game. New Orleans reliever Luke Lycette relieved Marcotte and issued three straight walks, including an RBI bases-loaded free pass to Michael McAloose to score the first run of the game.
 
Lycette then jumped ahead of Demon catcher Sebastian Huerta 0-2 before Huerta knocked a two-run single to center field to give the Demons a 3-0 lead.
 
"I was sitting slider the whole at-bat," Huerta said. "He was struggling with his command, so I was hesitant at first. When it got to 0-2, I just had to buckle down for the team."
 
The team followed Huerta's lead as Zach White followed with an RBI double off the top of the right-field wall that drove Lycette from the game. Sam Ardoin added a sacrifice fly and Brooks Leonard delivered an RBI single against Luke Hymel to cap the inning.
 
Hillen (2-1) was the beneficiary of the run support, but the length of the inning, which included two mid-inning pitching changes, affected his sharpness.
 
After allowing just two hits in the first six shutout innings, Hillen was greeted by a run of four straight singles from the Privateers (10-16, 4-8).
 
Hillen recovered to strike out Evan Rogers before a hit by pitch ended his day after 6 1-3 strong innings, which allowed Hillen to notch his first win since Feb. 15.
 
"The thing about that inning is nobody wants to give up four, especially after we got six," Bertrand said. "However, all four runs that scored were from singles. We didn't walk anybody, so credit to their hitters. Trent did a really good job. He got six zeroes up to that point. Then there was a response to it. That's what veterans do."
 
Wesley Marien got the final two outs of the seventh before allowing an eighth-inning run. With the tying run at first base and two outs in the ninth, Bertrand brought in Lucas Harrington.
 
Harrington fell behind Eli Tidwell 3-0 before getting a called third strike on a full-count pitch to secure his third save and the Demons' third straight Southland series win.
 
"Those guys (in the bullpen) have been consistent all year," Huerta said. "They're just dogs on the mound. I had 100 percent faith in them."
 
The Demons return to action Tuesday when they begin a seven-game road trip at ULM. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Lou St. Amant Field.
 
Northwestern State 6, New Orleans 5
UNO    000 000 410 – 5 9 0
NSU     000 006 00x – 6 6 1
W – Trent Hillen (2-1). L – Riley Marcotte (1-3). S – Lucas Harrington (3). 2B – UNO, Eli Tidwell, Eddie Castillo, Kruise Newman. 2B – NSU, Ethan Menard, Zach White. Highlights: UNO, Newman 2-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Josh Hoffmann 2-4, RBI. NSU, Brooks Leonard 2-4, RBI.
Records: New Orleans 10-16, 4-8; Northwestern State 15-9, 8-4.