Box Score (HTML)

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State baseball team opened the 2015 season with a 3-2 10-inning walkoff victory over Oklahoma Christian Saturday afternoon at Rousey Field.
 
The RiverHawks (1-0) fell behind early but were able to secure the season-opening triumph over the Eagles (0-1) thanks in part to dominant pitching and timely hitting late in the contest.
 
Northeastern State used four pitchers, and they combined for 18 strikeouts. The mark was the most K's in a single game in NSU's NCAA era (since 1996). The previous single-game high was 13, and both occurrences came against Central Oklahoma (April 27, 2008 and April 9, 2013).
 
Sophomore starter Ryan Helsley fanned eight Eagles and allowed two runs (one earned) on just two hits in 4.0 innings. Senior Waylon Davis relieved Helsley and sat down five batters in 3.2 innings. He conceded just four hits and no runs. Senior Hayden Walch pitched to two batters, registering one hit allowed and one strikeout. The other four K's went to senior Kyle Shambaugh, who threw the final 2.0 innings and earned the victory on the mound. He gave up just two hits and no walks.
 
Oklahoma Christian got on the board before NSU was able to bat. The Eagles used a two-out double from Derek Jones that plated Zac Cobble. Jones was thrown out on the play trying to stretch the hit to a triple. OCU went on top 2-0 when Ben McKenzie led off the second with a triple to left center and scored after a throwing error.
 
Neither team scored for the next five innings and the visitors maintained their two-run lead heading into the seventh-inning stretch.
 
NSU was able to tie the game in the bottom of the frame. The comeback began when junior Jamie Graeser reached second base on a one-out throwing error. Senior Preston Cash singled through the left side to plate Graeser and later scored on a two-out triple from senior pinch hitter Fabio Arcelay. Arcelay was thrown out at home trying to score on his triple.
 
The two teams went scoreless in the eighth and ninth frames, so an extra inning was needed to decide proceedings.
 
After Shambaugh pitched himself out of trouble in the top of the 10th, NSU went to work in the bottom half of the frame. Junior Gabriel Wurth began the inning with a single, and sophomore Bryce Davenport reached on an error from the pitcher. After OCU intentionally walked sophomore Caleb Hill to load the bases, junior Eric Kirkpatrick roped a single to left field to lift the RiverHawks to victory.
 
Northeastern State will compete next in non-conference action against Pittsburg State beginning at noon Feb. 13 at Rousey Field.

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