BEAUMONT, Texas – A two-run first inning home run by Justin O’Neal would be the only scoring Northwestern State would get on Sunday as the Demons were swept by Lamar after a 14-2, seven-inning loss in Southland Conference baseball action.

The loss was the fourth straight suffered by the Demons (17-22, 10-12 SLC) and the fifth consecutive setback in conference play.  Lamar improved to 28-17 overall and 14-10 in the league.

NSU returns to action on Tuesday at Grambling before returning home against Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday and a weekend SLC series against Central Arkansas.

Demon starting pitcher Ben Rodriguez (0-4) took the loss after he gave up eight runs on seven hits in just two innings.

The Demons jumped out early after O’Neal blasted a two-run homer in the first inning, his seventh of the season.

Lamar took the lead in the bottom of the second on a grand slam by Brian Taylor followed by a RBI single from Chris Dunkin to put the Cardinals up 5-2.

LU scored five more runs in the third inning when three of the runs scored off of two Demon errors and a balk.

The Cardinals added four more runs in the fifth inning to go up 14-2 then held the Demons without a run to go on to win the game by way of the 10-run mercy rule.

NSU finished the game with just five hits as O’Neal accounted for all of the Demons’ runs.

Lamar starting pitcher James Brandhorst improved to 3-0 on the season after he threw a predetermined three innings and gave up two runs on three hits.

The Cardinals belted out 17 hits in the game as Steven Tucker led the squad with a 4-for-5 game with a RBI and two runs scored.  Taylor went 3-for-5 with five RBIs and two runs scored while four other Cardinal batters finished with two hits each.