Box Score

Box score (HTML)

BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Northeastern State baseball team lost 5-3 to Southwest Baptist Thursday afternoon at Dobson Field.
 
The RiverHawks (19-22, 15-18 MIAA) held a 3-0 lead early in the contest, but a late rally from the Bearcats (23-18, 19-13 MIAA) and costly errors from the visitors allowed the home team to secure the series-opening triumph.
 
Sophomore Cody Begovich kicked off the scoring with a one-out solo home run in the top of the third. NSU scored two more in the frame to take a three-run advantage.
 
Spencer Blacksher answered with his 12th home run of the season in the home half of the third, and the Bearcats tied the game with a pair of tallies in the fourth on a two-out, two-run single from Christian Binger.
 
Neither team scored across the next three innings, and SBU scored twice on NSU's bullpen in the eighth to earn the victory. Both runs were unearned as the road team had two errors in the frame.
 
Redshirt freshman Caleb Hill went 3-for-4 in the contest. He registered a career-best three hits for the second-straight game. Seniors Ryan Staggs and David Weber added two hits each as the RiverHawks outhit the Bearcats 12-9.
 
Junior Kyle Shambaugh took a no-decision after lasting 5.0 innings on the mound. He allowed three runs on six hits. Junior Hayden Walch (0-1) tossed the next two frames and was tagged with the loss after allowing the two unearned runs. Senior Addison Williams and junior Seth Hudson teamed up to record the final three outs of the game.
 
Cory Borsh allowed all 12 hits and gave up three runs in 7.1 innings. Spencer Andrews (2-1) earned the win by throwing 0.2 innings of quality relief, and Sam Vergara picked up his eighth save of the season.
 
Landon Young, Blacksher and Drew Miller all combined for two hits.
 
The two teams will meet in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. April 18.

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