NATCHITOCHES, La. -- The Nicholls State University baseball program (16-21, 11-11 SLC) struggled to contain an offensively-charged Northwestern State (19-17, 13-9 SLC) squad throughout Saturday's series-opening doubleheader, initially falling by a 7-3 margin to the rival Demons in game one before suffering a 13-6 rout to close out the day at Brown-Stroud Stadium in Natchitoches, La.

Despite the Demon attack getting off to a quick start in the opener as they registered five runs -- four on a grand slam -- through the first inning, the Red & Gray battled back over the course of the next few frames, knocking home solo runs in the second, fourth and fifth to pull back within two. A pair of solo scores from NSU in the sixth and the eighth, however, combined with a solid performance from starter Johnathan Harmon (8.0 IP) helped Northwestern State seal the eventual 7-3 victory.

The second contest of the day saw NSU bolt out to a similar lead, picking up a 5-0 advantage through the first four innings, before the Colonels managed to answer back with four of their own during the fifth and sixth frames. A rapid Demon response in the bottom of the sixth recaptured the five-run edge before a second grand slam secured the win for Northwestern State in the seventh, locking in a 13-6 decision and 2-0 series advantage.

KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS
-- With the pair of losses, the Colonels fall to 16-21 overall for the season along with an even 11-11 mark in Southland competition; meanwhile, Northwestern State moves to a 19-17 mark on the year with a 13-9 record in league play.
-- Game one starter Chase Gearing (3-3) picked up the early loss following a decent 5.2 innings of work in the opener, as the sophomore surrendered six runs on eight hits while setting down seven batters on strikes. In relief, sophomore Tyler Theriot and freshman Nico Saltaformaggio handled the final 2.1 frames on the mound, giving up one run on two hits while combining for four strikeouts.
-- The latter half of the doubleheader saw much more action out of the bullpen as starter Trever Kilcrease exited following 3.1 innings on the rubber, allowed five runs on seven hits with just two strikeouts. Notably, senior Beau Balado impressed with all five outs of his tenure coming via strikeout, surrendering three runs on two hits during the process, while the final 3.0 frames -- handled by senior Peter Holland, junior David Vial Jr. and Saltaformaggio -- concluded with five runs allowed on five hits with three batters set down on strikes.
-- Offensively, sophomore Xane Washington composed the day's best overall performance, finishing with three RBIs on three hits along with his second-ever career home run, while senior Dillon Belle put in a solid effort as well with game one's only two RBIs for the Red & Gray. Beyond Washington, a number of Colonels closed out the twin bill with multi-hit showings, with sophomore Kyle Boudreaux posting three hits across both games while both sophomore Austin Cain and freshman Wes Toups notched a pair each on the day.
 
UP NEXT
With the first half of the series against Northwestern State complete, the Colonels aim to force an even split with a second-consecutive twin bill on Sunday afternoon, first pitch slated for 1 p.m. at Brown-Stoud Stadium.

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