MONROE, La. (Interstat) — Jacob LeBlanc and four relievers combined on a three-hit shutout, and Thomas Marsala homered and drove in two runs as Northwestern State blanked Louisiana-Monroe 5-0 in a nonconference baseball game Tuesday evening at Warhawk Field.

The Demons (16-9) broke through in the third inning against ULM starter Toal, who was chased without recording an out in the frame. Zach White led off with his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. After a mound visit, the Demons executed a small-ball attack with three consecutive bunt singles by Ardoin, Leonard and Siervo to load the bases.

Adam Dabbs relieved Toal and was greeted by Marsala’s sacrifice fly to center, scoring Ardoin. Menard followed with an RBI single through the left side to plate Leonard, giving Northwestern State a 3-0 lead.

The most critical sequence of the game came in the bottom of the sixth inning, with the Demons still leading by three. Louisiana-Monroe (14-12) threatened against LeBlanc when Dupont led off with a double down the left field line. LeBlanc issued a walk to Landry, prompting a pitching change.

Logan Trotter entered and, after a mound visit, induced a sacrifice bunt from Wiethorn that advanced both runners into scoring position with one out. Trotter then escaped the jam by getting Mauzy to pop out to shortstop and striking out Dean swinging, preserving the shutout and stranding two runners.

Northwestern State added insurance in the seventh when Marsala launched his seventh homer of the year, a solo blast to deep left field off reliever Adam Tubbs. The Demons’ final run came in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Siervo.

LeBlanc (5-0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K) earned the win with five dominant, hitless innings. He faced just one batter over the minimum, aided by a double play in the third. The Warhawks did not record their first hit until Dupont’s double in the sixth.

The Demons’ bullpen was flawless. Trotter, Carter White and Chase Prestwich followed LeBlanc with four hitless innings of relief. Prestwich was particularly sharp, striking out four of the six batters he faced over the final two innings.

Northwestern State’s offense tallied eight hits and capitalized on two sacrifice flies. Marsala finished 2-for-4 with the homer and two RBIs. White and Menard each added an RBI.

Louisiana-Monroe used six pitchers in the loss. Dabbs, Robinson, Tubbs, Skarich and McKinley combined to allow only one run over the final seven innings after Toal’s short start. The Warhawks’ best scoring chance was snuffed out in the sixth, and they left a runner on third in the ninth after a walk and a wild pitch.

The victory gave Northwestern State a season sweep of the home-and-home series after a 13-10 win in Natchitoches on Feb. 17. The Demons have won four of their last five games. Louisiana-Monroe has lost three of its last four.

Northwestern State opens a Southland Conference series at Nicholls State on Friday. Louisiana-Monroe travels to face Sun Belt Conference rival Louisiana-Lafayette in a weekend series starting Friday.