Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Northeastern State baseball team split a pair of contests with Southwest Baptist Friday afternoon at Dodson Field.
 
The RiverHawks (20-23, 16-19 MIAA) won the first game 3-2, but the Bearcats (24-19, 20-14 MIAA) came from four runs down to take the nightcap 8-7.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE 3, SOUTHWEST BAPTIST 2 (box score)
SBU plated two in the first, but the RiverHawks rallied with three in the fourth and shut down the Bearcat offense in the final six frames to even the series at one game apiece.
 
True freshman Ryan Helsley (5-3) won his third-straight start, as he struck out six and walked three in 4.2 frames. He allowed just two runs and five hits.
 
Senior Addison Williams tossed an inning of relief, and junior Seth Hudson closed out the final 1.1 frames to register his fourth save of the season.
 
SBU's Tim Collins (4-4) tossed a complete-game losing effort. He allowed three runs (no earned) on six hits, while striking out seven. NSU outhit Southwest Baptist 6-5.
 
Northeastern State jumped on three Bearcat errors to plate three runs in the fourth. Junior Tyler Wilkins led off the frame by reaching base on an error. Sophomore Andrew Walker also reached base on an error that scored Wilkins, and Walker later tied the game on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Cody Begovich. Junior Dante Broom, who singled prior to Walker scoring, plated the go-ahead run on a third infield error.
 
Spencer Blacksher was the only player in the game to record multiple hits, runs scored or runs batted in. He finished the game 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored.
 
SOUTHWEST BAPTIST 8, NORTHEASTERN STATE 7 (box score)
Northeastern State collapsed late in the game, allowing five runs in the sixth inning to hand Southwest Baptist a 2-1 series lead.
 
Both teams scored solo runs in the second, and the home side took a 3-1 advantage after three frames on a two-run bomb from Jake Vore. NSU tied the contest in the top of the fifth and plated four in the sixth to pull ahead 7-3. SBU answered with a five-run sixth and quieted NSU's bats in the seventh to secure the victory.
 
True freshman Bryce Davenport was 3-for-4 for Northeastern State as both teams finished with nine hits. No other member of the RiverHawks recorded multiple hits. Both Landon Young and Tyler Hampton finished with two hits for Southwest Baptist. Hampton had four RBI, which included a three-RBI double in the sixth. Vore finished with three runs batted in.
 
Matt Dye took the bump for SBU and was pulled after lasting 4.2 innings. He conceded three runs on seven hits in the no-decision effort. Sam Vergara (5-1) threw the final 2.0 frames and collected the win after allowing two runs on two hits.
 
Northeastern State burned through six pitchers, and they all conceded at least one run. Two of those pitchers were Williams and Hudson, who both saw action on the mound for the fourth-straight game. Neither one of them recorded an out, and they combined to allow three runs on two hits with one walk. Junior Bryan McClellan (4-5) was saddled with the loss after allowing the final nail in the comeback coffin.
 
Freshman Bobby Sehgal was first on the mound for NSU. He lasted just 2.0 innings and gave up one run on three hits.
 
The series finale will begin at 1 p.m. April 19 in Bolivar.
 
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