Demons’ win streak comes to an end in opener against South Dakota State

NATCHITOCHES – The free bases and big innings the Northwestern State baseball team had become accustomed to in the first four games of its current homestand were still there Thursday afternoon.

Unfortunately for the Demons, visiting South Dakota State was the one who benefited.

The Jackrabbits used a pair of big innings – one early and one late – to power a 16-2 win in the opener of a four-game series presented by the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission at Brown-Stroud Field.

“We were pretty poor today,” sixth-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. “We were pretty poor on the mound. Their guy was pretty good, and we just couldn’t get to him. This shows you what it looks like when you don’t show up. That’s pretty indicative of today. You get an eight spot in the second inning, and that’s hard to overcome, especially when you have three more games this weekend. Hopefully, we’ll see what we’re about and come out ready to play (Friday).”

The Demons (7-10) saw their season-long, four-game win streak come to an end in a flurry of hit batters and timely hits by the Jackrabbits (5-10).

Starter Donovan Ohnoutka (1-3) worked a perfect first inning before running into trouble in the second.

Derek Hackman started the South Dakota State second with a single to center, beginning a run of five straight Jackrabbits to reach base in what became a 12-batter, eight-run inning. Ryan McDonald had two hits in the inning, including a bases-clearing triple that capped the scoring.

Northwestern State did its share to help the inning along, hitting four batters – three with the bases loaded. A run-scoring wild pitch and a sacrifice fly preceded McDonald’s three-run triple.

After Gus Collins got the Demons out of the second, the Demon offense made its one push against South Dakota State right-hander Owen Bishop (1-2).

Bryce Holmes struck out leading off but reached on a passed ball before Larson Fontenot drilled an RBI triple to the right-center field gap to put Northwestern State on the board. Fontenot scored on the next pitch on Bo Willis’ sacrifice fly to right.

The six-run deficit was as close as the Demons came the rest of the game.

Collins settled in, allowing a single run in the third inning but kept the Jackrabbits off the board through the sixth, striking out a career-best eight in a career-long 4 1-3 innings. Collins allowed one earned run and just two hits in his appearance.

“I thought Gus was a bright spot,” Barbier said. “He came in and kind of settled the game down for us.”

Bishop turned in a quality start (6 innings, 2 earned runs), scattering three hits and striking out seven. The sophomore right-hander came up with big pitch after big pitch to slow a Demon offense that had scored at will in its four previous games.

With Collins slowing South Dakota State, the Demons began to pressure Bishop in the fifth as Jeffrey Elkins led off with a walk and Gabe Colaianni singled. However, Bishop set down the next two hitters and, after hitting Gray Rowlett with a pitch, got Daunte Stuart to fly out to escape the jam.

McDonald truly put the game out of reach in the eighth with a grand slam, highlighting a six-run eighth that featured two more hit batters. All told, Demon pitchers hit eight South Dakota State batters and issued four walks.

Collins and Will Hine (3) set or tied career highs in strikeouts Thursday, but three times, South Dakota State hitters reached on plays in which they struck out.

The series continues with a 2 p.m. Friday doubleheader. Left-hander Cal Carver (1-2, 4.79) and right-hander Johnathan Harmon (2-1, 1.64) are scheduled to start for Northwestern State against South Dakota State right-handers Nic McCay (0-2, 7.00) and Drew Beazley (0-1, 14.14).

South Dakota State 16, Northwestern State 2
SDSU 081 000 061 – 16 10 1
NSU 020 000 000 – 2 4 1
W – Owen Bishop (1-2). L – Donovan Ohnoutka (1-3). S – Reece Arbogast (1). 2B – SDSU, Jordan Sagedahl. 3B – SDSU, Ryan McDonald; NSU, Larson Fontenot. HR – SDSU, Ryan McDonald (2). Highlights: SDSU, McDonald 3-5, 2B, GS HR, 7 RBIs; Reece Anderson 2-3, RBI.
Records: South Dakota State 5-10; Northwestern State 7-10.