TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State softball team split a pair of non-conference games with rival Central Oklahoma Saturday afternoon at RiverHawks Park.
 
The Bronchos (26-12) won the first game 11-4, and the RiverHawks (24-17) captured the second contest 4-3 in walkoff fashion.
 
The two teams also split a doubleheader in Edmond a day earlier, and NSU was able to post a 2-2 record in the two-day span against a UCO side it had not defeated in 12 games prior to Friday.
 
Junior Ryan Martin led Northeastern State with a 3-for-6 day at the plate. Sophomore Paige Gann finished 3-for-7 overall, and junior Madison Boyd went 3-for-8 across the two outings.
 
NSU is now set to return to league action with a road trip to Central Missouri. The RiverHawks and Mules will meet in a doubleheader at 3 p.m. April 8 in Warrensburg, Missouri.
 
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA 11, NORTHEASTERN STATE 4
Central Oklahoma tacked on individual runs in the second, third and fourth innings to take an early 3-0 advantage. NSU scored once in the fourth and both teams plated three runs in the sixth. The RiverHawks remained within striking distance down 6-4, but the Bronchos created plenty of breathing room with a five-run seventh inning that blew the game open.
 
Gann hit a home run for the second-straight day and now has six on the season. She also scored twice. Redshirt freshman Haley Acrey finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, and true freshman Kelsey Harmon drove in two runs.
 
UCO outhit Northeastern State 12-7, and neither team committed an error.
 
Ally Dziadula went 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs scored and two home runs. Morgan Heard finished 2-for-2 with four RBI, three runs and one long ball of her own. Rachel Harper finished 2-for-3 in the first game, and Carrie Abrams was 2-for-2 in pinch-hit duties.
 
Senior Delaney Gray (1-4) started in the circle and lasted 5.1 innings. She took the loss after conceding six runs on seven hits, while also walking seven and striking out just one. Junior Mollie Carter tossed the final 1.2 frames and gave up five runs on five hits.
 
Jessi Walker (12-6) earned the win after lasting 5.1 innings for UCO. She gave up four runs on six hits, while striking out eight and walking three. Nicole Brady tossed the final 1.2 frames to earn her third save of the season.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE 4, CENTRAL OKLAHOMA 3 (8 innings)
Northeastern State was able to fend off a late rally from the visitors and earn the series split. NSU received back-to-back home runs from Martin and sophomore Kaleigh Hinkle in the bottom of the second to take a 3-0 lead. The RiverHawks clung to that advantage all the way until the top of the seventh, when Heard hit a solo home run to send the contest into extra innings.
 
NSU would not be denied the split, however, as the home team was able to bring the leadoff runner home in the bottom of the eighth after sitting down the Bronchos in order in the top half of the frame.
 
Boyd led off the eighth with a single and moved over to second after senior Megan Ewton drew a four-pitch walk. They both advanced 60 feet on a wild pitch, and Boyd scored the game-winning run on a walkoff sacrifice fly from Gann.
 
Boyd, Gann, Martin and Hinkle all had two of Northeastern State's nine hits. Martin drove in two runs with her eighth home run of the season.
 
True freshman Taryn Gray and senior Kayce Wooldridge teamed up to stifle a UCO team that is currently in the top five nationally in five statistical categories. The Bronchos are second in the country in batting average and are also near the top in home runs, triples, RBI and runs scored.
 
Gray threw 4.2 innings and gave up just two unearned runs on six hits. She walked three and did not register a strikeout in a no-decision effort. Wooldridge (18-6) came on in relief and earned the victory in the final 3.1 frames. She allowed one run on three hits and maintained her lead in the MIAA in wins and ERA (1.26).
 
Abbie Lancaster tossed the first 4.0 frames and allowed three runs on seven hits. Mo Selman (3-4) was tagged with the loss after giving up the game-winning run on two hits.
 
Heard finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run, while Carli Jones was 2-for-2. Tori Collett and Ashton Smith both had two hits for Central Oklahoma.

-GoRiverHawksGo.com-