Box ScoreTAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State baseball team opened up a four-game MIAA series with a 16-3 run-rule victory over Central Oklahoma Thursday afternoon at Rousey Field.
The RiverHawks (18-10, 12-9 MIAA) used a trio of long balls and stellar base running to snap a five-game losing streak to the Bronchos (12-18, 7-13 MIAA) that dated back to 2013. NSU also handed UCO its first run-rule loss of the season.
After gunning down a runner trying to score in the top of the first to end Central Oklahoma's initial scoring threat, Northeastern State put two on the board in the home half of the frame to take a lead it would not relinquish.
Senior
Preston Cash hit a two-out single, and fellow senior
Fabio Arcelay was then hit by a pitch. Sophomore
Bryce Davenport drove both home with a double to left center field.
Sophomore
Caleb Hill led off the second with a solo home run, and a single from junior
Charles Sims would later plate both junior
Jamie Graeser and sophomore
Jared Aschbrenner.
Graeser also scored in the fourth inning and hit his first-career home run in the fifth to help give the home team a 9-0 lead after the first five frames.
Central Oklahoma got on the board with three runs in the sixth, but the RiverHawks exploded for six runs in the seventh to earn the run-rule victory. Arcelay and Davenport were both hit by pitches with the bases loaded in the seventh, and senior
Licio Tamburlini hit a walk-off grand slam to complete the run-rule victory.
Senior
Kyle Shambaugh (5-0) collected the win on the mound after allowing three runs on 10 hits in 6.0 innings. Senior
Waylon Davis pitched the seventh inning and did not allow a run.
Six different RiverHawks had multiple hits as NSU outhit UCO 18-10. Aschbrenner led the way with a 4-for-4 effort and two runs scored. Tamburlini finished 2-for-4 with five RBI and two runs scored. Junior
Gabriel Wurth and Graeser had three hits each. Graeser drove home two and scored three times. Hill also scored three times.
Dylan Raper finished 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI to lead the Bronchos. Jake O'Brien went 2-for-3 and was the only other UCO batter to post multiple hits.
Central Oklahoma utilized four pitchers in the contest. Starter Brent Backlund (3-2) lasted just 1.1 innings and took the loss after conceding five runs on seven hits. Konner Kyser gave up four runs on six hits over the next 3.1 frames, while Jared Fowler conceded six runs on four hits in 1.2 innings.
After hitting just seven home runs through the first 23 games of the season, the RiverHawks have now posted 14 round-trippers in their last five outings. UCO entered the series third in the nation in home runs hit per game, but NSU kept them inside the ballpark for all seven innings.
The two teams will meet in another nine-inning contest beginning at 3 p.m. April 3. The series will conclude with a doubleheader beginning at noon April 4.
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