NATCHITOCHES, La. – A University of the Incarnate Word comeback effort fell short as Northwestern State spoiled the Cardinals' Southland Conference opener as the Demons came away with a 5-4 win, Friday night at Brown-Stroud Field.

NSU starting pitcher Johnathon Harmon kept the UIW offense quiet through 6 1/3 innings pitched, scattering seven hits and just one earned run before the Cardinals figured out the right-hander. 

The Demons got on the board early with Daunte Stuart and Marshall Skinner hitting solo home runs on the first and second innings, respectively. NSU tacked on another run in the third on a passed ball and two more runs scored in the third inning with an RBI single from Cameron Parikh to score Skinner and another passed ball to make it a 5-0 ballgame. 

The Cardinals looked like they were going to scratch over a run in the second inning with back-to-back one-out singles by Grant Smith and Lee Thomas. Both runners advanced to second and third on a balk, but a foul out and a strikeout ended the threat. 

Jordan McFarland's second solo shot in as many games over the left field wall in the top of the sixth inning got the Cardinals on the board to try to spark the offense. 

UIW's big inning came in the top of the seventh with three runs scored after Harmon exited, Ridge Rogers started the inning off with a leadoff single to left field and advanced all the way to third on a throwing error. Rogers scored on the next at-bat, a Zach Limas RBI groundout. Wilson Ehrhardt lifted one to right field that scored Trent Koerner who singled earlier and gave the red and black a much-needed lift to get back in the game, down 4-5.  

Ehrhardt went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs as six other Cardinals registered a hit. Carson Rollins struck out five through 4 2/3 innings in the loss as Luis Martinez, Steve Hayward, Johnny Foral and Drew Minter combined for a scoreless outing to allow the Cardinals a chance to rally late. 

After UIW's seventh inning, NSU threatened to score again in the bottom of the frame. A leadoff walk and a one-out single had runners on the corner, but Foral came in to mow down Tyler Smith and got Skinner to ground out to second to keep the Demons off the board. 

With six outs left, the Cardinals' comeback fell short as Alex Makarewich threw four strikeouts, a grounder and a pop fly to close the game and earn the save. 

UP NEXT  
UIW and NSU square off in a double-header on Saturday, March 13. The first game scheduled to be played in seven innings at Brown-Stroud Field is scheduled for 2 p.m., with the second nine-inning game set to follow.

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