NATCHITOCHES, LA – The Sacred Heart University baseball team could only produce one run in 25 innings of action on Saturday, as it dropped two games in a doubleheader at Northwestern State on Saturday. The Pioneers fell in the first game, 5-0, before battling to a, 2-1, 16 inning defeat in the nightcap. SHU ends its first series at 0-3,while the Demons have now won four in a row to improve to 5-6.

Before the winning running finally crossed 4 hours and 18 minutes after the first pitch of game two, Sacred Heart had a runner reach second seven times from the seventh inning on, including once each from the 13^th to 16^th. The best chance of all came in the top half of the 15^th, when SHU loaded the bases with one out. Zack Short got it all started with a hit by pitch. He then stole second. In Jayson Sullivan's attempt to sacrifice him over, he would beat the bunt, and in the process advance Short to third. After a ground out to first, in which Sullivan advanced to second and Short remained put at third, Jesus Medina was intentionally walked to load the bases. The moved paid off, as Brandon Stane induced an inning ending 6-4-3 double play.

Carrying the momentum of the double play into the dugout, the Demons got the leadoff batter, David Fry, on with a single. After sacrificing him to second, Cort Brinson looked to have won the game with his single to center, but Fry was held at third setting up a first and third situation with one out. Dan Wertz got the next batter to hit a grounder to him, but he could not field it and the bases would become loaded. In stepped Chase Daughdrill, and he delivered, stroking a game-winning walk off single to right field.

James Cooksey pitched 6.2 innings of scoreless relief, only letting up three hits. Alex Perry relieved Cooksey in the 13^th, allowing only one hit, while striking out five, including the side in the 14^th. Short and Keith Klebart, and Keaton Flint led SHU with two hits each.

After the two teams both spoiled chances with runners in scoring position in the seventh, neither team would get a runner past first until the tenth. Cooksey overcame a leadoff error to get consecutive batters to pop out and fly out to send the game to the 11^th.

In the 11^th, Jesus Medina led off getting hit by a pitch and was advanced to second on a sacrifice from Perry. Chase Hymel, who tossed 4.1 scoreless innings himself, got the next hitter to ground out, which advanced Medina too third. With two outs, Medina attempted to score on a pitch in the dirt, but was called out as Hymel beat him to the plate.

Neither team threatened again till the 13^th, when leadoff man Flint got to second after a single and sacrifice bunt. Again he was left stranded. It was the same story in the 14^th, as Short led off the inning with an infield single, and after getting sacrifice to second by Jayson Sullivan, Klebart singled to shortstop. This led to Demon pitching change. Brandon Smith relieved Hymel and proceeded to retired the next two Pioneers. 

For the third consecutive frame, Flint ensured that Sacred Heart got its leadoff runner on by singling to center. Following a sacrifice, this time by Jake Friar, Medina worked a base on balls. This led to yet another pitching change, and again it paid off for NWST. Brandon Stane induced an inning ending double play to send the game to the bottom of the 15^th.

At the start of game two, the Sacred Heart offense put the first game behind them right away as Medina led off with a single to left field. After a flyout, Short roped a double down the left field line to give the Pioneers runners on second and third. Sullivan converted the situational hitting opportunity, plating Medina with a RBI groundout to second base. Jeffery Stovall clamped down from there, striking out the next batter. He would allow just two hits over the next eight innings. 

SHU starter Robbie Maguire was cruising through the first three and two thirds, allowing only one hit before NWST threatened for the first time with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. It started with a walk, and from there, Daughdrill doubled down the left field line to advance CJ Webster to third. During the next at bat, Webster tied the ball game as he crossed home thanks to a wild pitch. Maguire would respond to strand Daughdrill at third with strikeout. 

Game One

In game one, Sacred Heart could only advance one runner to second base, as NWST starter Josh Oller pitched the complete game shutout, allowing only three hits. After Northwestern State plated the first run in the third thanks to a lead off double, sacrifice bunt, and RBI groundout, the Pioneers got runners on in both the fifth and sixth. PJ DeFilippo stroked a two out double in the top of fifth, but was stranded after a ground out. Then in the sixth, Ted Shaw got on with a one out single, but was thrown out attempting to steal during the next at bat.

Jason Foley was cruising himself until NWST finally broke it open in the bottom of the inning. David Fry led off the sixth with a double to left, before being sacrificed over to third. Cort Brinson plated Fry with a single during the next at bat before Daughdrill doubled the Demons run total with a home run to left to extend the lead to 4-0. They added one more in the eighth.

Foley pitched six innings, giving up five hits and three runs. Dan Wertz provided an inning of scoreless relief.

Sacred Heart will remain in Louisiana for a single nine-inning game on Tuesday at New Orleans. First pitch is slated for 6:30 Central Daylight Time.