Box Score

Box score (HTML)  I  MIAA Championship Central

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The Northeastern State baseball team eliminated No. 12 Central Missouri from the 2014 MIAA Championship after defeating the Mules 11-10 Saturday evening at Crane Stadium.
 
The RiverHawks (26-26), seeded No. 8 in the tournament and needing three wins in the final weekend of the regular season just to qualify for postseason play, swept a top-seeded Mules squad (35-16) that was 18-3 at home this season heading into the weekend. UCM won the regular-season championship and had not lost a home series since March 20-22, 2009.
 
Northeastern State will now face No. 4 seed Missouri Western State University at 11 a.m. May 8 at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo. The winner will advance to the finals of the winner's bracket and meet the winner of the other semifinal game between No. 2 Emporia State and No. 3 Central Oklahoma at 11 a.m. May 9. The two losers will compete again at 6 p.m. May 8 in an elimination game.
 
The last time NSU advanced to the semifinals of a league tournament was in 2000 when the school was a member of the Lone Star Conference.
 
The RiverHawks plated three in each of the first two innings Saturday and was able to hold on when the Mules attempted to rally late.
 
Sophomore Cody Begovich led off the contest with a double, and he scored when true freshman Bryce Davenport traded places with him. Davenport scored on a throwing error induced by senior David Weber, and Weber later scored on a single from junior Justin Burgess.
 
UCM was sat down in order in the bottom of the first, and Northeastern State went back to work at the plate. Junior Dante Broome forced a one-out walk and later stole second. He scored on a Begovich single, and a Davenport two-run homer chased Central Missouri's starting pitcher.
 
UCM got on the board with single runs in the second and third innings, but senior Cody Robinson hit a solo home run (his NCAA-leading 17th of the season) in the top of the fourth to push the lead back to 7-2.
 
The Mules scored once in the fourth and twice in the fifth, but the RiverHawks put three more on the board in the visiting half of the fifth to stay ahead 10-5. The home side got to within 10-8 with one inning to play, and NSU tacked on what would be a decisive insurance run in the top of the ninth.
 
Central Missouri was able to score twice in the bottom of the ninth, but Northeastern State got the third and final out to secure the series-clinching victory.
 
UCM outhit NSU 16-12, and the RiverHawks were led by a 3-for-5 effort from Robinson. He also finished with three RBI. Davenport and Begovich also had two hits. Davenport drove home three, and Begovich scored three times.
 
True freshman Ryan Helsley (7-3) earned the win on the mound after allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 6.0 innings. He is now 7-1 in his last eight appearances, and he is also 5-0 in his last five outings.
 
Junior Hayden Walch and senior Addison Williams were used out of the bullpen, and junior Cayle Shambaugh threw the final 2.0 frames to collect his first-career save.
 
Kurtis Schuyler (7-3) suffered the loss after allowing six runs (four earned) on five hits in the first 1.1 innings. Zak Anstine threw the next 3.1 frames and gave up four runs (one earned) on three hits. Grant Gavin, AJ Walkenhorst and Zach Davis were also utilized out of the pen.
 
Jake Alexander finished 4-for-6 with a pair of RBI and runs. Hunter Johnson and Seth Wheeler also had three hits.
 
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