HAMMOND - Northwestern State's Hunter Thomas belted his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the eighth that tied the score, before the Demons added three more runs in the ninth as they rallied to defeat Southeastern, 7-4, in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday at Alumni Field.
In the second game, Southeastern (13-28, 7-12 SLC) rallied from a 3-0 deficit, scoring three runs in the third before taking a 5-4 lead in bottom of the eighth inning when the game was suspended by rain. The game, which was delayed twice by showers in the area, will resume with one out and two runners on beginning at 12 p.m. Sunday. The scheduled nine-inning contest between the teams will be played after.
GAME 1 - Northwestern State 7, Southeastern 4
Thoms, who came into the game with a team-high 44 RBI but had yet to hit a home run on the season, connected on a 1-and-1 pitch from Risley St. Germain (3-3) with two outs in the eighth that tied the score at 4-4. St. Germain, making his first start of the season for the Lions, got Josh Boop to fly out and Bobby Barbier to ground out before hitting Brandon Morgan with a pitch.
Northwestern State (25-15, 12-5 SLC) took the lead for good in the ninth after Scott Pittenger drew a one-out walk off St. Germain, who went 8.1 innings and allowed five hits. But St. Germain hit Tigger Lyles and Michael Palermo with pitches before Boop laced a single to left scoring Pittenger.
Jose Lado then came in to relieve St. Germain and got Barbier to hit a grounder to second. Freshman Jimmy Bertelson fielded the ball for the Lions and attempted to tag Boop as he was going to second base. Boop avoided the tag enough before eventually being retired and Bertelson rushed his throw to first, sailing past Corey Penedo and allowing Lyles and Palermo to score putting Northwestern State ahead 7-4.
Southeastern took a 1-0 lead in the first as Anthony Garibaldi was hit by a pitch from Demon starter Clayton Turner and advanced to second on an infield single by Colby Tyler. Randy Roth then singled up the middle, scoring Garibaldi for the first run of the game.
Northwestern State tied the game in the third on Lyles' fielder's choice, but Southeastern responded in the bottom half of the frame with three runs to take a 4-1 lead.
Bertelson hit a one-out single for the Lions and moved to second when Garibaldi drew a walk. Tyler then singled through the right side of the infield to load the bases before Roth hit a grounder to Thoms at first. Thoms stepped on the bag to retire Roth and fired to home to get Bertelson, but the skipped out of the glove of catcher Jeff Martin allowing Garibaldi to score from third and put Southeastern ahead, 3-1.
Penedo then hit a blooper up the middle that scored Tyler and giving Southeastern a solid 4-1 advantage.
But Northwestern State came back to get within 4-2 when Pittenger scored on Boop's fielder's choice in the fifth.
Daniel Desclouds (2-0) pitched two innings of relief for Northwestern State, allowing one hit and striking out four. Turner, tied for the SLC lead with nine wins on the season, allowed four runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. The right-hander also issued six walks and hit a batter before Desclouds came in the eighth.
GAME 2 - Southeastern 5, Northwestern State 4 (suspended by rain in 8th inning)
Southeastern's bats awoke after a 26-minute rain delay in the third as the Lions scored three runs to battle back from a 3-0 deficit. Garibaldi walked to lead off the inning before Bertelson reached on an error by Morgan.
A single by Roth drove in Garibaldi and Tyler followed with a two-run double to left that tied the score at 3-3.
The Lions added two more runs in the sixth as they chased starter Russell Dorton, who allowed 10 hits and four earned runs.
Northwestern State took a 1-0 lead in the first after Southeastern starter Bernard Robert fanned Lyles and Rusty Jones to open the game. Boop fell behind in the count before depositing a 1-and-2 pitch down the left field line and over the wall for his third homer of the season.
The Demons added two more runs in the second as they chased Robert for Lion reliever Chad Pendarvis. Morgan led off the inning with a single and moved to second when Jason Waguespack's throw sailed past Penedo at first. Morgan then stole third and would score on a sacrifice fly by Thoms.
Robert then walked Andre Vige' and Palermo executed a successful hit-and-run as he laced double to the gap in left-center field, scoring Vige'. Pittenger drew a walk and Lyles singled to chase Robert, who allowed three runs and four hits in 1.1 innings.
Pendarvis came in and immediately got Jones to hit a grounder back to the mound that retired Palermo at the plate before Boop flied out to end the inning.
The Demons added a run in the seventh as Barbier walked, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Morgan's single up the middle.
Garibaldi led off the eighth inning with a bunt single off Blake Jones moved to second on Eddie Bonet's sacrifice bunt. Roth was then intentionally walked before the rains came down with Tyler at the plate and a 1-and-0 count.
GAME 1
Northwestern State (25-15, 12-5 SLC) 001 010 023 - 7 5 1
Southeastern (13-28, 7-12 SLC) 103 000 000 - 4 8 2
Clayton Turner, Daniel Desclouds (8) and Jeff Martin. Risley St. Germain, Jose Lado (9) and Randy Roth. W - Desclouds (2-0). L - St. Germain (3-3). HR - Thoms (1). T - 2:35. A - 462.
