NATCHITOCHES – Throughout the first 42 games of his Northwestern State baseball career, junior shortstop Sam Ardoin steady ready for his moment.
 
That moment arrived Saturday afternoon in the ninth inning of a Southland Conference game against Stephen F. Austin when Ardoin shot a game-winning, two-out RBI single up the middle to give the Demons a series-clinching 2-1 victory against Stephen F. Austin at Brown-Stroud Field.
 
"I was staying on the fastball," Ardoin said. "The whole at-bat, I was trying to get a fastball down. He spun me three or four breaking balls, and I had a pretty good visual of what that shape looked like. Once I fouled off the fastball away down the line, I knew I was all over it. I just trusted myself that once I saw the pitch, I'd put a good swing on it."
 
Ardoin's single past a diving Rodric Black at second base scored pinch runner Lane Lusk, who entered after Ethan Menard's leadoff single, from second base to give the Demons (25-18, 16-10) their ninth last at-bat win of the year and their second walk-off victory. The first came on opening night on a 14^th-inning Joe Siervo single to beat UT Arlington.
 
It also was one of the few big hits in a day that was dominated by pitching.
 
Once again, Northwestern junior right-hander Dylan Marionneaux dazzled at home, spinning 8 1-3 innings of one-run ball. The only run SFA (22-22, 11-12) mustered came on Julian Swift's solo home run on an 0-2 pitch in the fourth inning.
 
That was the lone blemish on the line for Marionneaux, who scattered four hits and struck out eight, pitching into the ninth inning for the third time in as many home starts.
 
"To win a game like that takes a special kind of attitude, a special kind of performance from our guys," third-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. "Slim (Marionneaux) was absolutely unbelievable. Harry (Lucas Harrington) was absolutely unbelievable coming out of the bullpen."
 
Once the Demons fashioned an offensive response – Menard's two-out RBI double in the fourth – Marionneaux settled back in and began to carve up the SFA order.
 
Following Swift's home run and a walk, Marionneaux retired the next 12 batters he faced, keeping the game square at 1.
 
"The cutter obviously was working," Marionneaux said. "The heater felt lively coming out of my hand today, and I was holding velocity pretty much the whole game. Slider was there when I needed it. Change-up was there when I needed it."
 
Marionneaux stranded two runners in scoring position to end the eighth inning and exited the game after issuing a one-out walk to Henning in the ninth inning.
 
Right-hander Lucas Harrington (3-1) came in and struck out both batters he faced to give the Demon pitching staff its 18^th double-figure strikeout game of the season.
 
It all set up Ardoin's game winner, which came after Menard singled and Michael McAloose drew a walk to put Lusk in scoring position. Ardoin fouled off two 2-2 pitches from Nate Vidlak before rifling the game-winning back up the middle, giving him a memorable moment one day after he tied his career high with three hits.
 
"Right there, what Sam got the opportunity to do is a model for people," Bertrand said. "When things aren't going your way offensively, you have to stick with it. You've got to have a level of grit and fortitude to deliver that for the team. Those are moments where you can throw all of the past out of the window and you can deliver for the ballclub, and that's exactly what he just did."
 
The Demons will go for the sweep at 1 p.m. Sunday. Northwestern will send senior right-hander Trent Hillen (2-3, 6.03) to the mound on Senior Day against SFA right-hander Dylan Mulcahy (3-4, 4.08).
 
Northwestern State 2, Stephen F. Austin 1
SFA       000 100 000 – 1 6 0
NSU     000 100 001 – 2 7 0
W – Lucas Harrington (3-1). L – Seanan Farney (0-3). 2B – NSU, Michael McAloose; Ethan Menard. HR – SFA, Julian Swift (5). Highlights: Menard 2-4, 2B, RBI.
Records: Stephen F. Austin 22-22, 11-12; Northwestern State 25-18, 16-10.