The Cowboys got a mulligan.

Despite suffering a series-opening loss at the hands of Northwestern State Friday night, McNeese State remained tied for first place in the Southland Conference baseball standings.

Both Houston Baptist and Nicholls State also lost, leaving the race for the title even tighter with five regular-season games remaining.

With a chance to take the league lead, McNeese pitching suffered a tough night in a 16-12 Demons win at Joe Miller Ballpark.

The loss dropped the Cowboys (26-20) to 11-8 in the Southland. The Demons (22-23, 10-9) are one game behind the leaders.

The top two teams will host mini postseason tournaments with the winners facing off for the title at the higher seed.

McNeese starter Grant Rogers (5-4) had his worst outing of the season. He faced 16 batters, nine of whom scored. He gave up five hits and was chased after 22/3 innings of work.

Jeff Elkins proved to be the baddest Demon, hitting three-run homers in the first and fourth innings as NSU blasted five on the night.

Elkins, who hit his 10th and 11th of the season, set the stage in the first when he hit a two-out 400-foot shot to dead center. McNeese’s Payton Harden raced to the wall and had the ball hit his glove just as he hit the wall.

By the time Harden recovered the ball Elkins had an inside-the-parker and the Demons led 3-0. Harden later left the game and his status for the rest of the weekend is unknown.

Elkins shot in the three-run fourth was a no-doubter that the same wall by 20 feet to give the Demons a 10-1 lead.

Elkins finished with six RBIs. Also homering for the visitors were Bo Willis (8), Larson Fontenot (4) and Bryce Holmes (2).

McNeese made it interesting with four runs in the eighth and got the first two runners on in the ninth, but that’s where the rally ended.

Reid Bourque and Andrew Gonzales each had three hits for the Cowboys

Nate Collins provided the biggest highlight for the Cowboys when he hit his first homer of the season during a six-run fifth that cut the lead to 11-7. But the Demons responded with four more in the fourth highlighted by Holmes’ two-run shot.

The teams combined to hit seven batters while McNeese outhit the the Demons 17-14. The clubs also combined for six errors.

NOTES: Right-hander Chance Stone (3-2, 3.83 ERA) will start Game 2 at 6 p.m. today for McNeese. The Demons will counter with righty Johnathan Harmon (5-5, 2.93).