ALVA, Okla. – The Northeastern State baseball team lost its first two games of 2016 in a doubleheader sweep by Northwestern Oklahoma State Friday at Myers Stadium.
 
The RiverHawks (4-2) dropped the first contest by a 2-0 margin before the Rangers (2-4) walked off the visitors 6-5 in the nightcap.
 
Overall on the day, NSU received three hits from senior Eric Kirkpatrick. Both senior Justin Burgess and redshirt freshman Zane Takhar also collected a pair of hits in the two games.
 
Northeastern State will remain in Alva to take on West Texas A&M at noon Feb. 13 in a neutral-site non-conference tilt.
 
NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE 2, NORTHEASTERN STATE 0
NSU was blanked in the its first road game of the year. The Rangers plated two in the home half of the fourth, and that would prove to be all they would need to secure the victory.
 
Both teams had six hits, and the RiverHawks scattered all six hits throughout their lineup. Matt Benn and Casey Dickerman had two hits each for NWOSU, and Alexis Torres posted the two RBI.
 
Junior Jeremy Mansur (1-1) tossed the first 5.1 innings for Northeastern State. He conceded two runs on six hits. Junior Bobby Sehgal recorded the final two outs of the sixth frame.
 
Walker Wharton (1-1) gave up six hits and no runs across 6.2 innings to earn the win on the mound. Jonathan Bauer registered the final out for the save.
 
NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE 6, NORTHEASTERN STATE 5
The RiverHawks fell behind 5-3 after seven innings, but they battled back and forced the Rangers to earn the walkoff victory. NSU scored first when a single from senior Shane Bridges in the second inning plated both senior Cody Begovich and Kirkpatrick. The green and white tacked on a third run in the third when junior Thomas Murray scored on an RBI single from junior Bryce Davenport.

Northwestern Oklahoma State rallied for four runs in the sixth and tacked on an insurance marker in the seventh to push ahead by two runs.

NSU would not go down without a fight, however, as the visitors were able to score twice in the ninth thanks to a two-out, two-RBI double from senior Charles Sims. Dickerman left off the bottom of the ninth with a single and later scored the game-winning run following a two-out single from Xyruse Martinez.

Kirkpatrick had two of NSU's eight hits. The Rangers belted 10 hits with two each from Greg Carrington, Martinez and Torres.

Junior Zack Hammock (1-1) was tagged with the loss after conceding the game-winning run. Junior Tyler Yancey threw the first 5.2 frames for NSU and allowed four runs on four hits. He struck out eight and walked three. 

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