Pregame fire cancels game between NW State, La. Tech

NATCHITOCHES — Northwestern State’s baseball game against Louisiana Tech Wednesday night was canceled because of a transformer fire behind the right field wall at Brown-Stroud Field.

The transformer blew up around 3:30 p.m., three hours before the scheduled first pitch, as several Demons players were taking batting practice in the cages just several feet from the explosion.

A preliminary indication has the fire being started by an electrical malfunction, and in turn, igniting the oils in the transformer into an eight-foot wall of flames.

The Natchitoches Fire Department was quickly on hand but said the fire had to burn itself out.

Nobody was injured and the game will not be rescheduled.

The Demons will be back in action Friday when they open a three-game Southland Conference series at Nicholls State. Tech returns to action on Tuesday when the Bulldogs travel to play Arkansas.

JACKSON STATE 9, NICHOLLS STATE 6: In Jackson, Miss., the Tigers took advantage of wild Colonels pitching to even the nonconference series at 1-1.

Donnie White (2-2) took the loss, allowing two runs with three walks, four wild pitches and a hit batter.

Nicholls (23-24) used five pitchers, who combined for six walks, five wild pitches and five hit batsmen.

Matt Richard, Jeremy Hill and Beau Faulk finished with two hits for the Colonels.

With a 4-2 lead, the Colonels gave up five runs in the fourth and fifth innings and did not score after the sixth as the Tigers (32-14) improved to 18-1 at home this season.

The Colonels return to action on Friday for the last three games of the home schedule, hosting Northwestern State.