Demons top Cowboys 2-1 in pitcher’s duel to open SLC tourney

SUGAR LAND, Texas – McNeese and Northwestern State are no strangers to pitching duels when it comes to the Southland Conference Tournament as for the second time in three years, the two teams locked into one in the opening round on Wednesday morning with the Demons pulling out a 2-1 win.

NSU starter Ridge Heisler held the Cowboys to one run in 7 2/3 innings while allowing eight hits with four strike outs in picking up the win while McNeese starter Grant Anderson gave up just two runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings with eight strike outs.

“I have to give a lot of credit to Grant Anderson and Ridge Heisler,” said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. “I thought both of those guys pitched outstanding, especially with the familiarity the hitters on both sides have with them. That was a really good college postseason ball game.”

Both pitchers had their moments of dealing and controlling the opposing hitters.

After each team scored a run in the first inning, Anderson settled in and didn’t allow another hit until a lead-off double by JP Lagreco, and at one time, struck out five straight batters.

“I felt good out there,” said Anderson. “It’s been a long season. I don’t think I had my best stuff, but felt good for the most part. I just had to get a feel for my off-speed ball and that carried me through most of the outing.”

That off-speed pitch was a killer for several Demon players who found themselves reaching while striking out.

McNeese (25-32) looked like it was on its way to a big first inning.

After Shane Selman and Reid Bourque hit into outs, Joe Provenzano reached by getting hit by a pitch and Carson Maxwell reached on an infield single.

That brought up Dustin Duhon who singled up the middle to score Provenzano to put the Cowboys up 1-0, but Provenzano was caught trying to stretch it from first to third to end the inning.

The Demons (34-22) tied things in the bottom of the first when Kwan Adkins led off with a single then scored on a one-out triple by Tyler Smith.

The Cowboys loaded the bases in the second inning with one out, but Selman’s hard hit ball up the middle was handled by Heisler who turned a 1-2-3 double play to end the McNeese threat.

Meanwhile, NSU only put one batter on base from the second through sixth innings, and that was a walk to Smith in the fourth inning and ended up being left stranded at second base.

But in the seventh, Lagreco led off with a double and Luke Watson followed with a single as the Demons had runners on the corners with no outs. McNeese sacrificed a run to turn a 6-4-3 double play to halt the Demon rally but NSU went ahead 2-1.

Aidan Anderson entered the game to strike out Kelsey Richard to end the seventh.

But while the Demons had trouble finding the bases in the middle innings, Heisler kept the Cowboys away by retiring 12 straight batters from the third through the sixth inning.

McNeese threatened in the eighth when Provenzano hit a two-out double, the 47th of his career, and Maxwell walked, but a sharply hit ball to right field by Duhon was caught to end the inning.

In the ninth, Cochran led off with a single, then with one out, Julian Gonzales connected on a hit-and-run play, but his liner was right two the right fielder and Cochran was doubled off first base while he was standing on second, as the game ended.

McNeese out-hit the Demons by a 9-6 margin.

Both Maxwell and Cochran each collected two hits for the Cowboys while six NSU batters picked up a hit.

“That was a tightly contested game,” said Hill. “There were no errors on both sides. I though both teams made some really good defensive plays. We turned a double play and they turned three. It was just one hit away on our side of it.

“We have to flush this thing. The team that doesn’t feel sorry for itself is the team that’s going to be ready to go play. I expect our guys to be ready to go. I don’t think it’s time to end for us.”

The Cowboys will play again at 9 a.m. in an elimination game against Nicholls while the Demons face SLU in the winner’s bracket in the follow game Thursday.