MONROE, La. – Northwestern State's Chase Prestwich threw seven strong innings as the ULM offense struggled to get going in a 3-1 loss to the Demons Wednesday night at Lou St. Amant Field.
 
"I love games like this, and I hate losing," ULM head coach Michael Federico said of the pitchers' duel. "We had two freshmen throw and a newcomer in Russell Derbyshire, and we're just trying to figure some things out. We were in striking distance the entire time."
 
Prestwich (2-0) allowed just one run on three hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings. After allowing an RBI single by Kade Dupont in the bottom of the third inning, Prestwich allowed just one more baserunner to reach on his watch, retiring 13 of the next 14 hitters with only Riley Davis reaching on an error to open the seventh inning.
 
Kyle Froehlich followed behind Prestwich with two scoreless innings to earn his second save, allowing a single to Michelle Artzberger and a double to Davis in the ninth inning. With the potential game-tying runs in scoring position and one out, Froehlich struck out Zack Floyd and got pinch-hitter Travis Washburn to pop out to close the game.
 
ULM's offense was limited to five hits. ULM (6-8 overall) picked up two hits in both the third and ninth innings, plating the only run in the third as Shawn Dalton Weatherbee doubled with two outs and scored on Dupont's RBI single.
 
"We have to do a better job from the offensive side of it," Federico said. "There were way too many breaking balls that were dumped in there, especially early in the count, that we didn't get any swings on, and then we're swinging at the breaking ball that was down. That's something that a lot of these guys have never seen.
 
"I thought Northwestern State did an absolute beautiful job of pitching tonight. Prestwich was outstanding. They didn't walk anybody."
 
NSU (6-6) loaded the bases in the first inning and took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Jake Haze. After ULM tied the game in the third, NSU answered in the fifth inning as Michael Dattalo's RBI double brought home Gabe Colaianni for the Demons to regain the lead, 2-1. In the sixth inning, an RBI double by Bo Willis scored Jeffrey Elkins for the 3-1 lead.
 
Freshman Brandt Corley (0-2) took the tough-luck loss, allowing two runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts in a career-high five innings. After Cole Cressend allowed a run in the sixth inning, Russell Derbyshire and Justin Robinson combined for three shutout innings to keep ULM in striking distance. Davis paced ULM's offense with two of the five hits.
 
ULM opens the final nonconference weekend series of the season at 6 p.m. Friday against Nicholls at Lou St. Amant Field.