NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State first baseman Mike Jaworski set a new school record with three home runs on Saturday, unfortunately for the Demons the offense wasn’t enough as NSU fell 11-9 to Texas-San Antonio in Southland Conference baseball action.

The loss was the second straight to the Roadrunners and fourth overall for the Demons, who falls to 17-15 on the season and 9-4 in league play.  NSU, however, remains just a half-game behind Lamar – a 9-8 loss to Sam Houston State – in the East Division standings.

UTSA (23-11, 10-4) stayed even with Texas State atop the West Division standings.

“When he gets hot, he’s unconscious,” said Demon head coach J.P. Davis.  When he sees it up in the zone, he’s going to hit it, and that’s what he did today.”

After the Demons spotted UTSA a 5-0 lead through two innings, the Demons, led by a three-run home run by Jaworski, who finished the day 3 for 4 with five RBIs and three runs scored, tied the game at 5-all.

The Roadrunners came back with five runs of their own in the top half of the fourth inning to go up 10-5.

After Ryan Hutson struck out to start the inning, James Keithley and Tim Palinscar walked in back-to-back at bats.  Michael Rockett followed with a RBI single and Trent Lockwood hit a three-run homer to put UTSA up 9-5.

The Roadrunners got another run when Tyler Carpenter hit a bunt single, then eventually scored on a Zach Etheredge single to make it 10-5.

NSU came back with a run in the bottom of the inning when Brett Johnson led off with a double, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a Micah Tipton single to make it 10-6.

In the fifth, Jaworski led off the inning with a solo home run to cut the gap to 10-7 and the lead dwindled to 10-8 in the sixth inning when he hit a two-out solo home run, his 11^th of the season.

Palinscar gave the Roadrunners an 11-8 lead with after a lead-off home run in the top of the seventh, then NSU’s Anthony Jones belted his first home run of the season in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 11-9.

The Demons had a golden opportunity to tie the game in the eighth.

Tipton and Dylan Libadisos when down 1-2 to start the inning.  Jaworski then walked and stole second.  Justin O’Neal walked to put runners at first and second.  Jordan Nipp entered to pinch run for O’Neal.  Jones then lined a shot down the third base line that would have easily scored two runs to tie the game, however, UTSA’s third baseman Ryan Rummel laid out to catch the ball on a one-hop bounce, and got the force out at third base to end the inning.

In the ninth, Roberto Gallegos hit a two-out single to right-field and Joe Urtuzuastegui hit a deep fly ball to center-field for the third out – a hit that would have been out of the ball park if hit anywhere but center-field.

Jones finished the game 2 for 5 with a home run and double as the Demons ended the game with 12 hits.

Mark Ruffin (1-1) got the win in relief work for the Roadrunners after throwing 1.2 innings and allowing no runs or hits while striking out two.

Justin Morgan (1-2) took the loss for the Demons in relief work.  Morgan gave up four runs on three hits in 1.2 innings.  Starting pitcher Heath Hennigan had his shortest outing of the season, lasting just 1.2 innings and giving up five runs on four hits.