Johnson's homer lifts Demons to 12-inning win, series victory at UIW

Three-run blast in 12th inning gives Northwestern State first series win in San Antonio since 2018

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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The Northwestern State baseball team clinched its first Southland Conference series victory in San Antonio since 2018, defeating Incarnate Word 7-6 in 12 innings on Saturday. The game-winning blow came from Demons outfielder Bryce Johnson, who hit a three-run homer in the top of the 12th inning to give Northwestern State the lead for good.

Why it matters

The win marks an important milestone for the Demons, who had struggled to find success in San Antonio in recent years. The ability to grind out a hard-fought victory in extra innings showcases the team's resilience and determination, traits that could serve them well as they continue Southland Conference play.

The details

Johnson's game-winning homer came off UIW reliever Fawster Voytko and capped a day where the Demons outfielder collected a career-best three hits. The Demons had rallied to tie the game in the eighth inning on an RBI groundout by Larson Ardoin. Northwestern State starting pitcher Wes Hillen settled in after a shaky start, and the Demons' bullpen delivered four shutout innings to set up Johnson's heroics in the 12th.

  • The game went 12 innings on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
  • Johnson hit the game-winning three-run homer in the top of the 12th inning.

The players

Bryce Johnson

A Demons outfielder who hit the game-winning three-run homer in the 12th inning to give Northwestern State the victory.

Wes Hillen

The Northwestern State starting pitcher who settled in after a shaky start and kept the Demons in the game.

Incarnate Word

The Demons' opponent, the Incarnate Word Cardinals, who were hosting the series at Sullivan Field in San Antonio.

Fawster Voytko

The Incarnate Word relief pitcher who gave up the game-winning homer to Johnson in the 12th inning.

Mike Boudreaux

The third-year head coach of the Northwestern State Demons baseball team.

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What they’re saying

“It's a Demon type of win on a Demon type of day, and we did it in a Demon type of way.”

— Mike Boudreaux, Head Coach, Northwestern State Demons (nsudemons.com)

“A couple of at-bats before that, I was letting the ball get too deep. I sold out for the fastball, saw a good pitch and tried to win a game. I knew I had that one in the bag.”

— Bryce Johnson (nsudemons.com)

What’s next

The Demons will look to build on this series victory when they return home to host Alcorn State on Tuesday, March 11, 2026.

The takeaway

The Demons' come-from-behind, extra-innings victory showcases the team's resilience and determination, traits that will serve them well as they continue Southland Conference play and pursue a conference championship.