Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State baseball team split with Nebraska-Kearney in the final two games of a weekend MIAA series Saturday afternoon at Rousey Field.
 
The Lopers (21-14, 15-13 MIAA) scored six late runs to come from behind and win the first game 6-3, and the RiverHawks (16-20, 12-16 MIAA) posted a six-run sixth to come back to take the second game 9-6.
 
NEBRASKA-KEARNEY 6, NORTHEASTERN STATE 3 (box score)
The road team outhit NSU 7-5 in the first game Saturday, but it was the green and white that opened up an early lead.
 
Sophomore Cody Begovich led off the game with a four-pitch walk, and he found his way to third on a sacrifice bunt and a steal. After senior Kyle Singleton struck out swinging, fellow senior Cody Robinson rifled a single up the middle to plate Begovich.
 
Robinson again came up to bat in the third with runners at the corners, and he brought them both home with a double to the center field wall.
 
All the early momentum generated by Northeastern State was quickly squashed when Max Ayoub sent a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 3-3.
 
Nebraska-Kearney manufactured the go-ahead run and also brought in a pair of insurance tallies in the sixth to secure the game-opening victory. NSU sat down the first two batters of the inning in order, but the Lopers went to work when Josh Kiger reached on a fielding error by Singleton in left field. The three unearned runs were all UNK needed to take the first contest.
 
The loss went to junior Kyle Shambaugh (2-4), who conceded six runs (three earned) on six hits in 5.2 innings. Junior Seth Hudson relieved Shambaugh and was unable to record an out. He faced three batters, hit two of them and walked the other, and pushed across two runs before being removed. Freshman Zack Hammock closed out the contest on the bump.
 
Robinson finished 2-for-4 with three runs batted in to pace the offense.
 
Anthony Pacheco and Dallas Schramm led UNK with two hits each. Michael Hahn (4-2) secured the win after allowing three runs on four hits in 5.1 frames. He struck out six and walked five. Joe Smidt tossed the final 1.2 frames to pick up his second save of the weekend and fifth of the season.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE 9, NEBRASKA-KEARNEY 6 (box score)
Nebraska-Kearney scored five runs in the first four innings to take an early 5-1 advantage in the series finale. The only run NSU could muster in the first five frames came in the third when Begovich scored on an infield error.
 
The score remained in favor of the visitors until a six-run outburst in the home half of the sixth allowed Northeastern State to take a lead for good.
 
Freshman Caleb Hill began the frame with a single and moved over to third following a single from junior Tyler Wilkins. Sophomore Andrew Walker then stepped up to the plate and was able to put three runs on the board with one swing of his bat. He hit a single through the right side that was misplayed by the right fielder, allowing both Hill and Wilkins to score. Walker was directed home on the play and was called safe after the catcher dropped a relay from the shortstop.
 
With the bases empty, junior Dante Broom sent a single up the middle. He stole second and was called safe on a close play that was discussed by both coaches and the umpires. Begovich then walked, and both players scored on a triple to right center from senior David Weber. Weber later scored on a double from Singleton and the hectic frame finally ended when Robinson popped up.
 
The Lopers managed to cut the two-run lead in half with a solo tally in the seventh, but the RiverHawks added two insurance runs in the eighth and shut out UNK the rest of the way.
 
Junior reliever Bryan McClellan (4-3) picked up the win on the mound after throwing 5.0 innings. He allowed three runs on five hits. Junior Cayle Shambaugh started for the first time at NSU and conceded three runs on four hits in 3.0 innings. Senior Addison Williams did a job by getting out a left-handed batter in the top of the ninth, and junior Hayden Walch recorded the final two outs of the game to earn his first-career save.
 
NSU outhit UNK 15-9 and was led by Weber's 4-for-5 performance. He scored twice and drove home two. Wilkins finished 3-for-5, and both Hill and freshman Bryce Davenport registered a pair of hits.
 
Danny Droll, Pacheco and Jayke Brock all had two hits to pace the Loper attack. Daniel LeDuc (0-1) came on in relief and was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs on one hit. He did not register an out. Logan Willard started on the bump for Nebraska-Kearney and lasted 5.1 innings. He allowed five runs (three earned) on nine hits. He also struck out seven and walked just two.
 
Northeastern State will take the midweek off before returning to action April 11-13 against Missouri Southern State in Joplin, Mo.

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