NATCHITOCHES, LA -
A combined shutout from pitchers Robert Baker, Steven Spann, and Ashton Sivigliano helped give the Northwestern State baseball team a 6-0 win over Grambling State Saturday afternoon in Brown-Stroud Field.
The Demons will try for the sweep Sunday at 1 o'clock.
Robert Baker (1-0) got the starting nod and carried the Demons (2-0) on five innings pitched and allowed only four hits and no walks. Grambing (0-2) finished the game with only five hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts.
"I think the story of the day was starting pitching," said first-year head coach Lane Burroughs. "Bobby Baker comes out, and shows what a weekend guy looks like. He gave us a shot in the arm right out of the gate, and we scored three runs in the first two innings.
"I think we played a lot more loose today," he said. "Our guys settled in, and the bottom line is we barreled up some baseballs."
The Demon offense jumped out to a hot start when it scored two runs in the first inning.
NSU's first three batters loaded the bases on two walks and an error before Nick Purdy hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Toby Cornejo. Matt Baca followed up with hit through the left side to score Edwin Gomez.
NSU added another in the second when Zach Costa singled and advanced to second on an error by Grambling's Juan Bueno. He scored on a Gomez single to left field.
The biggest inning of the day was a three-run fifth from NSU that started with a Gomez single to third base and advanced to second after Will Watson was hit by a pitch. Purdy hit a ball deep to left field to clear the bases.
Baca scored Purdy when he hit a ball past the diving right fielder to make push the game to its final score.
NSU finished the game with eight hits, three walks, and four strikeouts. The Demon defense committed no errors.
After the series against Grambling is complete, NSU will travel to Louisiana-Lafayette Tuesday before returning home for a weekend series with Texas-Pan American.
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