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COMMERCE, Texas – The Northeastern State softball team lost a pair of games to begin the 2015 season Friday evening at John Cain Family Field.
 
The RiverHawks (0-2) first fell 7-6 in eight innings to Tarleton State before losing 11-9 to Texas A&M-Commerce in the nightcap.
 
Four members of the team had at least three hits on the day, including three newcomers. Freshman left fielder Jessica Boone led the way with a 5-for-6 effort, while senior catcher Alli Eales was 4-for-8. Redshirt freshman first baseman Paige Gann and sophomore second baseman Madison Boyd were both 3-for-6. Freshman third baseman Kaleigh Hinkle blasted her first two career home runs. Gann and Eales also went yard.
 
Northeastern State will remain in Commerce for rematches with TAMU and TSU beginning at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 7.
 
TARLETON STATE 7, NORTHEASTERN STATE 6 (8 INNINGS)
The RiverHawks exploded for five runs in the second inning to take an early advantage, but the TexAnns were able to chip away at the lead and tie the contest at 5-5 following a three-run sixth.
 
Both teams scored once in the final frame to send the game into an extra inning, and Haley Freyman scored the game-winning run in the top of the eighth on an RBI single from Kady Crow. Freyman also pitched the final seven innings to earn the victory in the circle. She allowed just one run on six hits. Starter Katelyn Conlee lasted just 1.0 inning and was pulled after conceding five runs on just four hits.
 
Junior Kayce Wooldridge threw the first 7.0 innings for the RiverHawks and conceded seven runs (five earned) on 11 hits. She struck out four and walked two. Sophomore Krissy Crow (0-1) was credited with the loss despite recording the final three outs.
 
Boone was 3-for-4 at the plate, while sophomore right fielder Ryan Martin drove home two. Hinkle was 1-for-3, which included her first-career home run on her first-career at-bat.
 
TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE 11, NORTHEASTERN STATE 9
TAMU-Commerce posted four runs in the second and six runs in the fourth to jump out to a 10-3 advantage. NSU was able to counter with two each in the fourth and fifth frames, but even a four-run seventh was not enough to catch the Lions as they held on for the two-run victory.
 
Junior Alex Files (0-1) allowed 10 runs (five earned) on four hits in 3.1 innings to take the loss in the circle. Senior Laura Fleck and Crow also pitched in relief. Aundria Romero (2-0) earned the victory for TAMU-Commerce despite allowing six runs on nine hits in 6.0 innings.
 
Eales paced NSU's offense with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate. She drove in three, which included her first home run. Gann also belted her first-career homer, while Hinkle hit her second of the day.
 
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