Box Score

HAYS, Kan. – The Northeastern State baseball team hit six home runs in a 17-1 run-rule victory over Fort Hays State in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Larks Park.
 
The RiverHawks (17-10, 11-9 MIAA) won the final three games of the series to take the four-game set 3-1. NSU outscored the Tigers (6-21, 5-15 MIAA) 37-3 and outhit the home team 44-14 in the final three games after dropping the opener 11-10 in extra innings.
 
The six home runs in Sunday's contest were the most for NSU in a single game since Feb. 23, 2008 against Tarleton State. In total, Northeastern State blasted 11 long balls in the four-game series with the Tigers. The green and white had hit just seven home runs altogether in the previous 23 games to start the season.
 
Seniors Preston Cash and Licio Tamburlini, junior Charles Sims and sophomores Bryce Davenport and Caleb Hill (2) all went yard Sunday.
 
The RiverHawks also received a quality start on the mound from sophomore Dustin Berrong (1-1). The sophomore started a game for the first time this year and responded by striking out a season-best 11 Tigers. He also allowed just one run on three hits in 6.0 effective innings. Junior Jake Kern logged the final inning of play and did not allow a run. He struck out two to give NSU 13 K's for the game. The RiverHawks have now struck out double-digit batters in 10 games this season. By comparison, NSU had just one such occurrence last season. The 10 games with double-digit strikeouts is also the most in a single season in the past 10 years.
 
Northeastern State opened the scoring early with a four-run first frame. The green and white tacked on an additional run in the second before adding three more in the third. Hill and Tamburlini hit back-to-back round trippers to cap a five-run fourth, and an additional two runs in both the sixth and seventh would be enough to record the run-rule victory.
 
Junior Gabriel Wurth was 4-for-5 with three runs scored. Both Sims and Hill were 3-for-5, and the duo combined for seven RBI and six runs scored. Tamburlini was 3-for-4 with three runs batted in and two runs scored. Davenport and Cash both went 2-for-4 and combined for five RBI and five runs scored.
 
Kevin Czarnecki had two of his team's five hits to lead the FHSU offense. He hit a solo home run for the only scoring of the day for the Tigers.
 
Justin Hersch (0-3) was saddled with the loss on the mound after giving up eight runs on seven hits in the first 2.2 frames. Relievers Giles Fox, Gabe Cook and Kyle Vogt combined to allow nine runs on 12 hits in the final 4.1 innings.
 
Northeastern State will take the midweek off before playing host to rival Central Oklahoma in a four-game set April 2-4 at Rousey Field. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. April 2.
 
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