Box Score NATCHITOCHES, La. – Northwestern State scored eight runs in the fifth inning to turn a three-run deficit into a five-run lead and never looked back defeating Lamar University, 13-5, Friday evening at Brown-Stroud Field.
 
The Cardinals (17-12/3-4 SLC) scored their five runs on 10 hits but were charged with two errors. Northwestern State scored its 13 runs on 11 hits. Six different Cardinals recorded a hit Friday led by multi-hit efforts from Josh Blankenship (2-for-3, double, run), Ethan Ruiz (3-for-4, double, RBI, run) and River Orsak (2-for-3, home run, double and 3 RBIs).
 
Jacob Ellis (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season. He went four strong innings before running into trouble in the fifth inning. He was one of four pitchers to take the mound for the Cardinals Friday.
 
The Cardinals got on the scoreboard first with a little two-out damage in the second inning. With runners at first and second, junior River Orsak doubled down the right field line bringing home both Blankenship and Ruiz. Kevin Bermudez followed with a walk but the Demons stranded him at first.
 
Northwestern State answered back with two in the bottom half of the inning. The Demons two runs came off a Bo Willis homer to left field.
 
After both teams had put up a two-run inning in the second, both hung zeros on the board in the third. After the third, the Cardinal bats went back to work with a two-run inning in the fourth followed by another run in the fifth. Orsak got the offense started in the fourth with a solo blast to right field – his second home run of the season. With two outs in the inning, Bermudez doubled to right center and he came around to score two pitches later off the bat of Culp (doubled to right center).
 
The Cardinals made it a 5-2 lead in the fifth when Ruiz singled up the middle scoring Ryan Snell from second, but Northwestern's bats woke up in their half of the fifth. NSU plated eight runs on four hits to take a 10-5 lead. Unfortunately, the Demons tacked on two more in the seventh and one more in the eight for the final score.
 
The two teams will return to the diamond Saturday for a doubleheader. The first game of the doubleheader is set for a 2 p.m. start with the second game schedule to begin 30 minutes later.