The New Orleans Privateers lost 6-5 to the Northwestern State Demons on March 22 after a late rally fell short in their baseball series finale at Brown-Stroud Field.
The game saw the Privateers come back from a six-run deficit, putting the tying run on base in the ninth inning. Josh Hoffmann singled with one out to get the potential tying run aboard, but Lucas Harrington of Northwestern State entered as relief and struck out the final batter on a full count breaking ball, ending the game and securing the series for the Demons.
Early in the contest, starting pitchers Riley Marcotte and Trent Hillen kept both teams scoreless through five innings. The Demons broke through in the sixth inning with six runs, including contributions from Sebastian Huerta, Zach White, Sam Ardoin, and Brooks Leonard. Three consecutive walks started the scoring sequence for Northwestern State.
New Orleans responded by sending all nine batters to the plate in the seventh inning. Owen Smith and Kruise Newman each had RBI singles, Hoffmann added an infield single for another run, and Kareh Valentin hit a sacrifice fly to narrow the gap to 6-4. In the eighth inning, Newman doubled down the right field line against Wesley Marien to bring New Orleans within one run. However, they could not complete their comeback.
Marcotte pitched a season-long 5.1 innings for New Orleans, allowing just one run on three hits with five strikeouts. Newman and Hoffmann each recorded two hits while Smith scored twice. Luke Hymel contributed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief pitching.
The Privateers will next face Jackson State on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
