NATCHITOCHES, La. – With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Northwestern State's Gray Rowlett beat out a potential double play to plate the winning run as the Demons escaped past HBU, 4-3, in the Southland Conference series opener Friday at Brown-Stroud Field.
 
Junior rightfielder Logan Letney went 1-for-3 with a solo home run for HBU (14-25, 7-6 SLC) and junior first baseman Brennen Bales was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
 
Senior lefthander Austin Spinney took a no-decision, allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in 5.2 innings. Junior righthander Javan Smitherman (1-1) took the loss, allowing an unearned run and a walk in one-third of an inning.
 
Rowlett was 1-for-5 with a double and an RBI, while Larson Fontenot was 1-for-2, drove in a run and scored a run for the Demons (18-19, 7-6). Jeffrey Elkins was 1-for-4 with a double.
 
Cal Carver allowed two runs on three hits with five strikeouts and three walks in six innings. Gus Collins (3-0) earned the win, allowing one run on two hits with a strikeout over the final three innings.
 
NSU took the lead in the second on Fontenot's RBI single and Elkins was thrown out by Miller at home on the play to end the inning. HBU tied it in the fourth when junior designated hitter Parker Edwards scored on a balk after walking and advancing to third on senior leftfielder Jake Miller's double.
 
Fontenot walked to lead off the fifth and scored on Gabe Colaianni's RBI single, but the Huskies once again answered on Bales' RBI double in the sixth to tie the game, 2-2.
 
HBU took its first lead of the game on Letney's solo shot to leftcenter in the seventh, but Cam Sibley's sacrifice fly in the bottom half knotted the game at three apiece.
 
The series continues with a 2 p.m. first pitch Saturday.