Late walks costly for Northwestern State in walk-off loss at Sam Houston

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Northwestern State baseball team danced around traffic on the bases for eight innings Friday night in the Southland Conference series opener at Sam Houston.

In the ninth, the Bearkats truly took advantage.

Two walks and a pair of singles, including a two-run infield single by Easton Loyd, lifted Sam Houston to a 3-2 walk-off victory at Don Sanders Stadium in the sixth straight one-run game for Northwestern State.

“I thought their guy (Tyler Davis) pitched well,” fifth-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. “We just need to extend the lead early in the game so it’s not so tight in the end.”

The Demons (7-8, 2-3) took a fourth-inning lead with their best offensive inning of the game. RBI singles from Jeffrey Elkins and Cam Sibley put Northwestern State up 2-0 – a lead right-handers Johnathan Harmon and Drayton Brown made stand up until the ninth.

Harmon battled through 5 1-3 innings, walking four, before Brown came in and struck out five in 2 2-3 hitless innings of relief.

Brown got the Demons into the ninth before a leadoff walk ended his night and brought on Alex Makarewich (0-1).

Makarewich got Jackson Loftin to pop up a bunt before issuing a walk to Bryce Holmes. Makarewich got ahead of Mason Schulz, who poked a single to left field to load the bases before Loyd singled off Markarewich’s leg to score the tying and winning runs.

The Demons walked seven hitters in the game, including both runners who eventually scored in the decisive ninth inning.

Aside from a pair of first-inning singles by Daunte Stuart (2-for-4) and Marshall Skinner (2-for-4), the Demons rarely threatened against Davis with the exception of the two-run fourth.

Davis struck out 11 Demons in eight innings, scattering seven hits (six singles) while not walking a batter.

Lance Lusk (1-1) picked up the win with a perfect ninth inning.

The series continues Saturday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader. Left-hander Cal Carver (2-1, 0.79) and right-hander Levi David (0-1, 4.20) are scheduled to start for Northwestern State. Left-hander Matt Dillard (0-2, 5.63) is set to start the opener for the Bearkats, who have yet to name a Game 2 starter.

Sam Houston 3, Northwestern State 2
NSU 000 200 000 – 2 7 0
SH 000 010 002 – 3 5 1
W – Lance Lusk (1-1). L – Alex Makarewich (0-1). 2B – NSU, Marshall Skinner. Highlights: NSU, Daunte Stuart 2-4; Marshall Skinner 2-4, 2B.
Records: Northwestern State 7-8, 2-3; Sam Houston 4-10, 1-4.