TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State baseball team defeated Missouri Southern State 3-2 Sunday afternoon at Rousey Field in the regular-season finale for both clubs.
 
The victory gave the RiverHawks (27-21, 21-17 MIAA) the series win over the Lions (32-18, 22-17 MIAA). NSU also held MSSU to just 10 runs total in the three-game series, marking a season low for the visitors.

Northeastern State used the series victory to finish sixth in the conference, and the team will serve as the No. 6 seed in the 2016 MIAA Championship. The postseason event will be held May 12-15 in St. Charles, Missouri, and this will be the fourth-straight year the green and white will compete in the tournament.
 
Northeastern State will face No. 3 seed Washburn in the first game of the tournament at 9 a.m. May 12.

Sunday's tilt served as Senior Day for NSU. The RiverHawks honored their eight graduating seniors and one graduating junior after the game.
 
Northeastern State never trailed in the contest and held a 3-0 lead after five innings of play. The home team got on the board in the bottom of the first when senior Charles Sims hit an RBI single to plate fellow senior Shane Bridges. Bridges led off the contest with a double that sailed over the head of the center fielder.
 
Senior Justin Burgess blasted a two-run home run in the fourth over the left center wall, which would prove to be the game-winning hit.
 
The Lions were able to manage a run in the sixth on an RBI single from Tyler Sutherland, and they added a second tally on a solo home run from Richie Gorski in the seventh. But the NSU pitching would stifle the visitors the rest of the game.
 
Junior Thomas Murray (2-5) earned his second win of the year after conceding just two runs on six hits in 6.2 innings. He also struck out two and walked one. Junior Tyler Yancey tossed the final 2.1 frames to collect his second save of the campaign. He was nearly perfect, allowing just one harmless single during his time on the mound.
 
Northeastern State outhit Missouri Southern State 9-7, and redshirt freshman Zane Takhar led the way with a 3-for-4 effort. Bridges finished 2-for-4 at the dish.
 
Jacob Bryant and Chris Hoffman paced MSSU with a pair of hits each, but the rest of the team went just 3-for-25. The NSU pitching staff shut down Jesse Rall all weekend. The designated hitter and first team all-region performer for Missouri Southern State entered the series with 18 home runs and was near the top of the MIAA standings in both homers and RBI's. He finished just 2-for-11 in the three games with three strikeouts and two bloop singles. He failed to register an RBI and he only scored once. Rall also went 0-for-4 Sunday and failed to reach base, snapping an impressive 78-game streak of getting on base that dated back well into last year.
 
Hoffman (2-1), an All-American last year, started on the mound Sunday and went on to suffer his first loss of the season. He conceded all three runs on six hits in just four innings. Zach Litchen tossed the next 2.1 innings and only allowed one hit and no runs. Austin Aspegren closed out the final 1.2 innings and gave up no runs on two hits.

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