Elkins’ homers help Demons outslug McNeese

LAKE CHARLES – From the fifth batter of the game onward, the Northwestern State baseball team’s Friday night was anything but ordinary.

Jeffrey Elkins’ three-run, inside-the-park home run in the opening inning set the tone for an offensive slugfest that saw the Demons outlast host McNeese, 16-12, in the opener of a three-game Southland Conference series at Joe Miller Ballpark.

“It was an offensive onslaught by us against a really good arm,” sixth-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. “(Grant Rogers) is one of the best in the league, and I thought we did a good great job of extending the lead. It was a great day to hit. There were a lot of hits in the ballpark. We kept having good at-bats throughout the game. Sometimes this year, we’ve had a really good early start and have faltered down the stretch.”

Appearing in his 151st game as a Demon, Elkins notched his first career multi-home run game, adding a traditional three-run home run with two outs in the fourth inning, giving him a career-high 31 RBIs on the season.

Elkins’ first big swing turned the tide for the Demons (22-23, 10-9), who pulled within a game of first place of conference tri-leaders McNeese (26-20, 11-8), Nicholls and Houston Baptist, all of whom lost Friday night.

Up 2-0 in the count on Rogers (5-4), Elkins drove a ball to deep center field where Payton Harden caught the ball as he crashed into the wall. Harden could not complete the catch and his throw skittered toward the infield, allowing Elkins to scamper home with NSU’s first inside-the-park home run since Larson Fontenot did so against Lamar on March 24, 2019.

“I didn’t expect it to happen,” Elkins said. “I was about to stop on third, and (third-base coach Chris) Bert(rand) told me to keep going. It was crazy.”

Elkins’ second first-inning home run of the season allowed NSU left-hander Cal Carver (4-4) to settle in early.

Carver allowed one run through four innings as the Demons built an 11-1 lead before the Northwestern State defense stumbled in the fifth.

The Demons committed three of their season-high-tying four errors in the inning, and McNeese took advantage, scoring six runs to cut the lead to four.

Carver settled back in and allowed just four earned runs in 7 1-3 innings, striking out five while posting his third walk-free start in conference play.

“Even in the inning with the madness going on when we were throwing the ball all over the ballpark, he kept throwing good pitches,” Barbier said of Carver. “He didn’t add to it, which a lot of times, it’s tough for guys to fight through it.”

One week after the Demons could not extend a lead enough to finish off Southeastern, they did so Friday night.

In addition to Elkins’ two home runs, Bo Willis, Bryce Holmes and Fontenot all homered, marking the first time since March 9, 2019, at Abliene Christian the Demons hit five home runs in a game. That total equaled the school record for home runs in a Southland Conference game, accomplished at ACU and against UTSA on April 17, 2010.

Willis added a two-run double, just missing a grand slam, ahead of Holmes’ two-run blast in a four-run Demon sixth inning that answered McNeese’s six-run fifth.

“Cal’s been good for us every outing,” said Elkins, who established a career high with six RBIs. “He’s pitched his butt off and won us games where we’ve lost them for him. Tonight, it felt good to win one for him.

“We have struggled the past couple of weeks, so we need to take this into (Saturday) and keep going.”

Willis’ home run was part of a career-high, three-hit game while Gray Rowlett (3-for-4, 2 RBIs) added a trio of hits as well. Willis finished with three RBIs as six different Demons knocked in a run and eight of nine NSU starters scored a run.

The series continues with a 6 p.m. Saturday matchup. Right-hander Johnathan Harmon (5-5, 2.93) takes the mound for Northwestern State against McNeese right-hander Chance Stone (3-2, 3.83).

Northwestern State 16, McNeese 12
NSU 304 314 100 – 16 14 4
McNeese 001 061 040 – 12 17 2
W – Cal Carver (4-4). L – Grant Rogers (5-4). 2B – NSU, Gray Rowlett, Bo Willis. McN, Cooper Hext, Brad Burckel, Julian Gonzales, Andruw Gonzales 2, Reid Bourque 2. HR – NSU, Jeffrey Elkins 2 (11), Bo Willis (8), Bryce Holmes (4), Larson Fontenot (4). McN, Nate Collins (1). Highlights: NSU, Daunte Stuart 2-4; Gray Rowlett 3-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Jeffrey Elkins 2-4, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs; Bo Willis 3-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBIs. McN, Braden Duhon 2-5; Josh Leslie 2-5, RBI; A. Gonzales 3-5, 2 2Bs; Bourque 3-3, 2 2Bs; Kade Morris 2-5, RBI.
Records: Northwestern State 22-23, 10-9; McNeese 26-20, 11-8.