THIBODAUX – When the Northwestern State baseball team needs a big swing in a road Southland Conference series, they call on Bryce Johnson.
Johnson’s go-ahead three-run home run in the eighth inning Sunday lifted the Demons to a 6-4 victory at Nicholls, giving Northwestern its second straight road conference series victory. Northwestern rolled 12-2 in Friday night’s series opener, then Nicholls came back Saturday night for a 9-8 win to even the series.
The outcome kept the Demons on top of the Southland standings with a 10-5 league record, sharing first with Lamar.
Sunday, Johnson’s third home run of the season came on the first pitch he saw from Owen Schexnaydre and was his second game-winning, three-run home run in Southland play, joining his 12th-inning blast in the series finale at UIW on March 7.
“I went up there with a clear mind and a clear head and saw it,” Johnson said. “I wasn’t sitting on his slider. I was sitting heater, saw it well and tried to put a good swing on it. I just wanted to have a good team AB (at-bat).”
The big swing – and Brooks Leonard’s ensuing RBI single that followed a Sam Ardoin single and stolen base – flipped the offensive script for the Demons (18-10overall), who did not score in six innings against Nicholls right-hander Haden Luke.
Luke scattered six hits while striking out 14 while the Colonels (14-15, 6-8) built a 3-0 lead.
Michael McAloose’s leadoff double in the seventh inning – his second two-bagger of the game — drove Luke from the game and opened the door to the Nicholls bullpen.
Once the Demons got into the Nicholls relief corps, the game shifted. After Peyton Lacy retired the first batter he faced, Johnson reached on catcher’s interference before Sam Ardoin singled home the first run of the inning. Joe Siervo’s sacrifice fly pulled the Demons within another run before Lacy escaped with a one-run lead in hand.
Mother Nature threatened the Demons’ momentum, forcing a 24-minute rain delay in the bottom of the seventh that drove Carter White from the game after facing just two batters.
Sophomore right-hander Wesley Marien (2-0) took over following the delay and recorded the final eight outs of the game, including a perfect eighth inning after the Demons took the lead. Marien followed six strong innings from Trent Hillen, who scattered six hits in six innings, allowing three runs to keep the Demons within striking distance.
“Proud of both of those guys for the way they came out and competed,” third-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. “Success, yes, obviously, but came out and competed. Proud of the way they responded. That was a huge response by Trent. The first couple of runs were somewhat self-inflicted by us. We gave up some free 90s that allowed them to be in that opportunistic situation. The fact he had a response, overall, a great performance from him.
“Wes, from the first pitch he threw until he got the last out, he was pressuring them, because he was throwing his best stuff in the strike zone, getting ahead of hitters – all of the things you want a bullpen arm with a two-run lead to come out and do.”
The four-run eighth inning gave Northwestern its fourth win when trailing after seven innings this season.
“We won a road series. We won against such a quality baseball team in a tough place to play. We came from behind and overcame the rain delay,” said Bertrand. “There are so many things we can take and use moving forward as long as we maintain the character and type of competitors we want to be.”
The Demons return to action Thursday night when they open a three-game Southland series at UT-Rio Grande Valley. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
