NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana – HBU mounted a seventh-inning comeback, scoring all three of its runs during the frame, to salvage the series finale against Northwestern State, 3-2, Sunday afternoon at Brown-Stroud Field.
Junior righthander
Brady Batten (3-4) earned the win, allowing two runs on four hits with a career-high 10 strikeouts and one walk on 121 pitches in seven innings. He retired the last 10 batters he faced, striking five of the last six, including striking out the side in the seventh. Junior
JT Newton nailed down his fourth save of the year, holding the Demons scoreless on one hit with one strikeout and one walk over the final two innings.
Senior second baseman
Jack Fitzgerald went 2-for-3 and drove in the game-winning run for the Huskies (21-23, 13-8 SLC). Senior first baseman/catcher
Jake Pulcheon went 2-for-4 and scored a run, while junior centerfielder
Jonathan Ducoff also went 2-for-4.
Nathan Jones (2-5) went the distance for the Demons (25-19, 11-10), throwing 125 pitches, allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Peyton Davis homered and Caleb Ricca doubled and drove in a run for NWST.
Davis hit a solo home run to leftcenter in the secondd, then Tyler Smith led off the fourth with a single and scored on Ricca's double to put the Demons ahead 2-0.
Pulcheon led off the seventh with a single, then junior designated hitter
Anthony Jones followed by reaching on a bunt single. Sophomore third baseman
Elijah Simon laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Nathan Jones's throw pulled the first baseman's glove into Simon, jarring the ball loose. Pulcheon scored on the error and
Anthony Jones went to third, putting runners on the corners with no outs. Junior
Grant Buck laid down a squeeze bunt to plate the tying run and move Simon to second. After Simon went to third on a wild pitch, Fitzgerald delivered an RBI single to right to give the Huskies the lead.
Newton allowed a two-out single to David Fry in the eighth, then walked Tyler Smith, but Lenni Kunert grounded out to end the threat. Newton then set the Demons down in order in the ninth, with Chaney Dodge popping out to seal the win.
The Huskies play their final non-conference and midweek game of the season when they host Southland rival McNeese Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Husky Field. The YouTube video broadcast with
Russ Reneau begins with the pregame show 10 minutes prior to the first pitch and is available on HBUHuskies.com.
