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BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Northeastern State baseball team defeated Southwest Baptist 13-11 in the series finale Saturday afternoon at Dodson Field.
 
The RiverHawks (21-23, 17-19 MIAA) improved their win percentage to .472 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, and they are now in eighth place in the league with one week (four games) left in the regular season.
 
NSU jumped Northwest Missouri State (15-18, .455) in the standings after the team was swept by Emporia State this weekend. The top eight teams in the conference qualify for the 2014 MIAA Championship, and Northeastern State can finish anywhere from fifth to 11th in the final standings after next week.
 
In the contest between the RiverHawks and Bearcats (24-20, 20-15 MIAA), the two teams exchanged runs back and forth and combined for 28 hits (14 each).
 
Both teams scored solo runs in the third frame to kick off the game, and the contest was tied at 4-4 after the two squads plated three each in the fourth. NSU's runs were registered when senior Kyle Singleton hit a three-run homer.
 
SBU added three more in the bottom of the fifth to pull ahead 7-4, but Northeastern State received a pair of runs in the sixth and freshman Caleb Hill's first career home run in the seventh to tie the game.
 
The RiverHawks went ahead for good with three runs in both the eighth and ninth, and the Bearcats could only answer with two each in those frames.
 
Sophomore Cody Begovich finished the day 3-for-5 with five runs batted in and a run scored. True freshman Bryce Davenport, senior David Weber, Singleton, and junior Dante Broom all had two hits. Singleton added four RBI and three runs scored, and Broom scored three times.
 
Junior Cayle Shambaugh started for NSU and allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits in 4.0 innings. The road team used six other pitchers to get the win, including freshman Bobby Sehgal who collected his first save. Senior Addison Williams and junior Seth Hudson both saw time on the mound for the fifth game in a row.
 
Cole Roark started for SBU and lasted 5.2 innings. He conceded six runs on six hits. Zac Porter (1-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits. Five different Bearcats finished with two hits. Landon Young drove home three.
 
Northeastern State returns home at 1 p.m. April 22 for a non-conference doubleheader with Arkansas-Fort Smith.
 
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