Demon Baseball Shuts Out Mississippi Valley State 13-0

NSU SID News Release/Jason Pugh

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State put together one of its most balanced performances of the season Tuesday night at Brown-Stroud Field.

Demons hitters pounded out a season-high 17 hits that led to a season-best 13 runs and Northwestern State pitchers fanned a season-high 14 Mississippi Valley State hitters in a 13-0 victory against the Delta Devils in front of 310 fans.

“We’ve been swinging the bats pretty good the last couple of weeks, and it was good to see our guys get in there and take some good swings,” third-year head coach Lane Burroughs said. “We challenged them early. Mississippi Valley came out with some energy, and I think we came out a little flat. I challenged our guys, and they responded with a two-spot (in the first inning).”

After Jeffrey Stovall induced a double play with the bases loaded to end the first inning, NSU (13-10) attacked Valley starter Connor Sheppeard right away.

Joel Atkinson led off with a single and took second when Cort Brinson was hit by a pitch with one out. Chase Daughdrill drew a walk to load the bases before David Fry drove in Atkinson with an RBI fielder’s choice.

C.J. Webster then flipped one of his three hits to right field for the second run of the inning, giving Stovall (3-2) and the three relievers who followed him all the run support they needed.

The Demons offense continued to build big innings, turning four-hit frames in the fourth and sixth innings into multi-run innings before finishing off the Delta Devils (4-13-1) with a six-run eighth inning.

Eight Demons starters recorded hits in the game and seven had multi-hit games, led by 3-for-4 performances by Daughdrill and Webster. Webster and Fry drove in three runs each to lead four Demons with multiple-RBI performances.

“We’ve been not necessarily struggling, but struggling here and there to come up with a big two-out hit,” Daughdrill said. “It was good to get those, like in the eighth inning, we had a big inning. It was nice.”

As effective as the Demons’ bats were, the NSU arms were similarly strong.

Stovall worked two scoreless innings as part of the Demons’ preset rotation before Josh Morris, Brandon Stane and Devin Bear each followed with two scoreless innings.

Jordan Shaffer worked a hitless ninth inning to complete the seven-hit shutout.

“We had some guys on the mound who hadn’t been out there that I’m very proud of,” Burroughs said. “Devin Bear looked great. He was pitching down in the zone, had some good velocity, had some tilt. Josh Morris looked very good. Coach (Bobby) Barbier has worked hard with him on some adjustments, and it looked like he had some tilt. Jordan Shaffer and Brandon Stane looked good.”

The Demons won’t have long to rest on their laurel-filled Tuesday, as they will face the Delta Devils at noon Wednesday in the finale of the two-game midweek series. It will be the earliest first pitch of the season for the Demons, who have won two straight games.

“The challenge to us and to everybody is the quick turnaround,” Burroughs said. “I tell our guys, you want to play pro ball, when you’ve got a late-night game and a getaway game the next day – they do this all the time. I’m challenging our guys to come out with some energy and get after it.”

Northwestern State 13, Mississippi Valley State 0

MVSU 000 000 000 – 0 7 2
NSU 200 203 06x – 13 17 1
W – Jeffrey Stovall (3-2). L – Connor Sheppeard (0-1). 2B – NSU, Cort Brinson; Chase Daughdrill; David Fry; Miller Parker. Highlights: MVSU, Brady McBride 3-4; Quentin McDonald 2-3; NSU, Joel Atkinson 2-5, RBI; Brinson 2-4, RBI; Daughdrill 3-4, 2 RBIs; Fry 2-5, 3 RBIs; C.J. Webster 3-4, 3 RBIs; Caleb Dugas 2-5; Parker 2-3.
Records: MVSU 4-13-1; Northwestern State 13-10.