By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for External Relations; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
NATCHITOCHES – Typically, complementary baseball involves pitching, defense and offense.
The Northwestern State baseball team added another item to that list Thursday night – toughness.
The Demons struck early and then answered a couple of McNeese runs with a pair of solo home runs en route to a 5-2 series-opening win against the Cowboys at Brown-Stroud Field.
“That’s complementary baseball and a win of toughness,” second-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. “I really believe that. The at-bats early in the game against such a quality left-hander (Cooper Golden) were toughness at-bats in the way that we fought and drove the pitch count up and made them make some decisions that were critical in the way the game turned out.”
Northwestern (32-18, 18-10) used another strong start from freshman left-hander Carter White, a former Airline star, and some early struggles from Golden to set the tone.
White (4-1) spun six innings of two-run ball, making a 1-0 first-inning lead stand up until the Demons doubled their lead on a two-out RBI single from Brooks Leonard that scored Balin Valentine, who reached on a one-out triple.
In three Southland Conference starts, White has worked 17 innings and allowed four runs.
“Carter White, pitching out of those jams early was toughness,” Bertrand said of his left-hander, who matched his career high with six strikeouts while scattering seven hits in six-plus innings. “The Demons were tough all night long. When you get toughness and complementary baseball, those are the types of results you’re going to see.”
The Demons also were responsive.
Once McNeese scratched out their first run in the sixth, Bryce Johnson needed one swing to answer, drilling a 3-0 fastball from Golden (3-3) over the left-center field wall to regain a two-run advantage for Northwestern.
“Probably never,” Johnson said of homering on a 3-0 pitch. “I had been missing the fastball all game, but Bert still believes in me – that I can do great things. I believe in myself. Perfect pitch.”
Johnson, who finished 2-for-4, homered for the second straight game for the first time in his Demon career.
His home run was part of a span where both teams scored a run in four straight half innings.
McNeese’s seventh-inning answer came on a run-scoring double play before the Demons again turned to the long ball for a response.
This time, it was Samuel Stephenson who connected for his fourth home run in three games, drilling an 0-2 pitch from reliever Jake Blackwell out to right field for his ninth home run of the season.
Two of Stephenson’s past three home runs have come on 0-2 pitches.
“I don’t want to sell myself short and say no, but it was definitely unexpected,” Stephenson said of his power binge. “I’m very glad to have the ability to do so. First pitch, I figured out from Reese (Lipoma) and my own sight that it had a little more ride to it, so I had to catch it deeper, keep it flush and backspin it. I wasn’t trying to catch it that deep, but I’m glad I did.”
The same can be said for the work of the Demon bullpen as right-handers Adam Alexis and Dylan Marionneaux combined to work three innings of scoreless relief.
Marionneaux collected the final two outs for his first career save, stranding a runner on third as Valentine made a sliding catch in left field to take a potential RBI hit from McNeese catcher Grant Mangrum and end the game.
“The work Adam puts in with (pitching coach) Dan (Hlad), (director of player development) Joe (Craighead) and (director of player personnel) Dawson (Flowers), he’s a pitch-execution guy,” Bertrand said. “That shows mental toughness, too. When you come into the game and (the opponent) knows what you’re going to do – they know what his strengths are – he spins the ball in the right location. That’s another sign of mental toughness.”
The series continues Friday at 6:30 p.m. in a matchup of right-handers. McNeese will send Sergio Lopez (7-1, 2.14) to the mound against Northwestern’s Tyler Bryan (2-6, 5.60).
Northwestern State 5, McNeese 2
McN 000 001 100 – 2 9 1
NSU 100 101 11x – 5 11 1
W – Carter White (4-1). L – Cooper Golden (3-3). S – Dylan Marionneaux (1). 2B – McN, Mack Brousseau 2, Connor Schneider. NSU, Clay Jung, Hudson Brignac. 3B – NSU, Balin Valentine. HR – NSU, Samuel Stephenson (9), Bryce Johnson (4). Highlights: McN, Brousseau 2-4, 2 2Bs; Grant Mangrum 2-3. NSU, Stephenson 2-5, HR, RBI; Rocco Gump 2-3; Johnson 2-4, HR, RBI.
Records: McNeese 30-14, 18-10, Northwestern State 32-18, 18-10.