By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Communications; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State baseball team would prefer not to make a habit of waiting until the end of games to deliver big moments, but the Demons are not going to apologize for doing so.
Braden Benton drilled a go-ahead grand slam with two outs in the eighth inning that lifted Northwestern to an 8-5 victory and a split of a Southland Conference doubleheader against UTRGV. Benton’s go-ahead home run gave the Demons their fifth straight Southland series victory.
It also marked the second time in the series that the Demons (20-12, 12-6) erased a deficit with a late-game rally. Benton’s grand slam put the finishing touches on a five-run eighth, following a similar script to Friday’s series-opening win in which Northwestern used a three-run ninth to grab the victory.
“I can’t tell you how much I love this baseball team,” second-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. “I continue to be a very, very proud leader because of the men they are. Today was a good example of finding a way to win when we didn’t play our best baseball from an execution standpoint. You can overcome those things because you have great character and because we exhibit those characteristics. It’s rewarding to see that we work so hard to deliver those messages, and the messages are landing, and they’re putting them to use. All of a sudden, we get to see the fruits of that labor.”
It also helped the Demons to have Benton in the box at the most critical point of the game.
Down 5-3 entering the eighth inning, the bottom third of the order started the go-ahead rally against UTRGV right-hander Robert Bonilla (1-2) with a Colin Rains single and a Clay Jung pinch-hit hit by pitch.
With the Vaqueros’ corner infielders crashing and expecting a bunt, Hudson Brignac chopped an RBI single inside the first-base bag. Brignac took second on the throw, putting runners on second and third with no outs in a one-run game.
UTRGV (20-10, 13-5) made the call to the bullpen for Jacob Limas, who struck out the first two batters he faced before intentionally walking Rocco Gump.
Limas fell behind Benton in the count, and the Demons’ designated hitter took full advantage of an advantage count, depositing a 2-1 fastball over the wall in left field for his second home run of the game and third in the past five games.
“I was sitting on the on-deck circle, praying that Roc (Rocco Gump) would get a hit,” Benton said. “I wanted that AB (at-bat). I wanted to go up there in a big moment. I got in an advantage count, and I knew a heater was coming and didn’t miss it.”
Benton’s second career grand slam – and second home run of the game following a leadoff blast in the second inning — put the Demons ahead for good as freshman left-hander Carter White (2-1) and sophomore right-hander Bryce Leonard (first career save) combined for a scoreless ninth.
Leonard fanned Steven Lancia for the final out, stranding a pair of Vaqueros on base and allowing Northwestern to start a new home win streak after UTRGV snapped the Demons’ 14-game streak at Brown-Stroud Field with an 8-5 victory in Game 1 of the doubleheader.
In that game, the Vaqueros survived another relentless Northwestern rally thanks in part to a late-game home run of their own.
UTRGV led 6-2 – the same lead it surrendered in Friday’s game – before Brignac singled home a run in the sixth and Daniel Burroway slammed a two-run home run to cut the lead to one.
The two-run shot was Burroway’s second home run of the game and gave him his first career three-hit game as a Demon.
The one-run lead stood until Jacob Sanchez extended the lead with a two-run home run with two outs in the UTRGV ninth. That proved to be a big swing as Jung’s single in the ninth would have made him the tying run.
It also stood as arguably the biggest swing of the day until Benton one-upped everyone.
“Those special people – it’s obvious to anyone that Braden has a talent, a skill set,” Bertrand said. “He’s got a swing that will play. It’s obvious to see the baseball part of it, but whether he’s in the lineup, not in the lineup, coming off the bench, he’s a guy who grinds through at-bats. He’s a guy who grinds through life to be honest with you. I’m glad he’s in our dugout, and I’m glad our older players, having the faith in the confidence in him to where we know he’s going to deliver, and for the younger the example that those people set.”
The Demons return to action Tuesday night when they open a two-game, home-and-home midweek series with ULM. First pitch in Monroe is set for 4 p.m.
UTRGV 8-5, Northwestern State 5-8
Game 1
UTRGV 003 201 002 – 8 11 0
NSU 010 101 200 – 5 11 3
W – Wyatt Wiatrek (5-0). L – Tyler Bryan (1-4). S – Harrison Thayer (3). 2B – UTRGV, Isaac Lopez, Armani Raygoza. 3B – UTRGV, Cameron Carter. HR – UTRGV, Jacob Sanchez (6). NSU, Clay Jung (3), Daniel Burroway 2 (9). Highlights: UTRGV, Lopez 3-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Thomas Williams 2-3; Carter 2-5, 3B. NSU, Jung 2-5, HR, RBI; Burroway 3-5, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs; Colin Rains 2-4.
Game 2
UTRGV 004 000 010 – 5 8 1
NSU 010 010 15x – 8 8 1
W – Carter White (2-1). L – Robert Bonilla (1-2). S – Bryce Leonard (1). 2B – UTRGV, Isaac Lopez, Armani Raygoza, Steven Lancia, Cameron Carter. NSU, Rocco Gump. HR – NSU, Braden Benton 2 (5). Highlights: UTRGV, Lopez 2-4, 2B; Lancia 2-5, 2B, RBI; Carter 2-4, 2B. NSU, Benton 2-2, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs; Colin Rains 2-4.
Records: UTRGV 21-10, 13-5; Northwestern State 20-12, 12-6.
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