By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for External Relations; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
NATCHITOCHES – Clay Jung’s week of big swings may have crested Friday night.
For the first time in three games, Northwestern State’s designated hitter did not hit a home run, but his RBI double in the 10th inning was the walk-off knock in the Demons’ 2-1 Southland Conference victory against Lamar.
“First off, unbelievable job by the bullpen and by (starting pitcher) Tyler Bryan, coming in and allowing one run against a good offense,” Jung said. “That’s incredible. I didn’t really know what to sit. (Lamar pitcher Austin Neal) hit Rocco (Gump) with a first-pitch fastball. I thought he might try to do the same. I just missed a fastball, and I knew (a slider) was coming. Got the foot down, held it back and was able to come through for the team.”
Jung’s sixth double of the year dropped dead on the right-field line, allowing Reese Lipoma to cruise home from second base with the game-winning run.
Lipoma started the 10th-inning rally with a hit by pitch before Samuel Stephenson moved him 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt. After hitting Gump, Neal (1-1) fell behind Jung 2-0 before evening the count, setting up the 2-2 pitch that gave Northwestern (23-17, 14-9) its 17th win in 21 home games this season.
“He’s a special dude,” second-year Chris Bertrand said. “Clay’s a really special guy. He pours himself into Demon baseball. He leads by example. When I drive my truck up every morning, most of the time his truck is here. Every time I walk into the training room, he’s there with (athletic trainer) Brittany (Pajuluoma). Every time I walk down here, he’s in the cages. What more can you ask from somebody?”
It would be hard to ask for more than what a quartet of Demon pitchers gave Northwestern on Friday night.
Though it was the second game of the series, things played out like a typical Friday-night game Bryan gave the Demons six innings of one-unearned-run work.
Once Bryan exited, a trio of relivers – Corbin Talley, Caden Fiveash and Austin Anderson – deftly worked in and out of trouble in the final four innings, emerging unscathed each time.
Fiveash and Anderson (2-0) combined to strand eight Cardinals in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings before Anderson delivered the Demons’ first 1-2-3 inning on the mound since the second with a perfect 10th inning.
A sophomore from Haughton, Anderson worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the ninth with a popout and a strikeout. He closed the game by retiring the final five hitters he faced.
“I was just doing anything I could to fill up the zone,” Anderson said. “Throwing strikes, helping my teammates make plays. Giving them a chance out there to do what they do and make plays for me when I didn’t have my best stuff on the mound.”
Anderson’s slider made the difference in the ninth before he worked his way through a clean 10-pitch 10th inning that set up Jung’s heroics.
Jung’s double gave Northwestern its third walk-off win of the year and second in its past five Southland games. All three of the Demons’ walk-offs have come in league play, but Jung’s was the first to end on a hit.
Northwestern’s walk-off wins against UIW (March 7) and UTRGV (April 4) came on an error and a wild pitch, respectively.
“I’m so proud of this team,” Bertrand said. “That’s a special group of people. It really is. The way they keep exhibiting those characteristics makes you proud to be a part of it, makes you proud to be their leader. That’s a big win. I know it’s one ball game, and it’s because it’s of where we are in the conference standings, but there’s so much more to that.”
The series concludes at 2 p.m. Saturday. Northwestern will send right-hander Trent Hillen (5-1, 3.91) to the mound while Lamar has not announced a starter.
Northwestern State 2, Lamar 1, 10 innings
LU 001 000 000 0 – 1 9 1
NSU 000 001 000 1 – 2 8 1
W – Austin Anderson (2-0). L – Austin Neal (1-1). 2B – NSU, Clay Jung. Highlights: LU, Reese Beheler 3-5. NSU, Jung 2-5, 2B, RBI; Braden Benton 2-4.
Records: Lamar 32-9, 13-7; Northwestern State 23-17, 14-9.
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