UL hands NSU first loss of the season - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana

[Information provided by Northwestern St]

LAFAYETTE – Louisiana-Lafayette leaned on a nine-run fourth inning to defeat the Northwestern State baseball team 12-3 Friday night in non-conference action.

ULL's (4-1) Same Carriere opened the home part of the fourth frame when he reached on an error by Demon (3-1) shortstop Edwin Gomez before Ryan Wilson singled to left field and Blake Trahan singled to right to score him.

Wilson and Trahan both advanced to third and second on passed ball and scored when Caleb Adams singled up the middle.

NSU starter Zach Krebs (1-1) was lifted for Cody Butler who walked Seth Harrison and gave up a single to score Harrison and Adams.  Jace Conrad doubled and Michael Strentz tripled to send three more runs to the plate. Strentz later scored on a wild pitch.

"We don't field a ground ball to start the inning, and instead of one out and nobody on we have a runner on and nobody out," said first-year head coach Lane Burroughs. "It was kind of the theme of the game, we had the chance to turn two double-plays earlier and we didn't turn them."

ULL jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning before Northwestern State tied it up starting with Todd Wallace's single to left-center field.  Cort Brinson advanced Wallace when he grounded out to second base, and Wallace scored on a Garrett Kilgore single to right field.  Toby Cornejo sent Kilgore to the plate when he doubled down the right field line.

The Demons added another run in the sixth inning when Nathan Lyons hit a triple to center field and was knocked in on a Brinson sacrifice fly to right field.

Nick Purdy led all players with four hits, and Will Watson and Kilgore each had two. The Demons had 11 hits, and reached base at least once in every inning until the eighth frame.

"Our offensive approach tonight was as good as I've seen all year," said Burroughs.  "We took some great swings, and our approach was a lot better than last weekend.

"Purdy is one of our best hitters, and I thought he had a great approach tonight," said Burroughs.  "I thought he was seeing the pitches and was right on."

NSU used six pitchers on the night.  Krebs pitched three innings and allowed five earned runs on five hits and Butler pitched one inning with three hits and four earned runs. 

Logan Shafter, Dillon Crain, Joesph Siegfried, and Ashton Sivigliano all combined for four innings allowing four hits, no runs, three walks, and four strikeouts.

"The bottom line we have to throw strikes on the mound and make plays on the infield when the occasion arises," said Burroughs.

Northwestern State will return home on Friday when it opens a three-game series with Texas-Pan American.  The first game will be at 6:30, Saturday's game will be at 4:00, and Sunday's wrap-up will be at 1 o'clock.