TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State came up on the winning end of a pair of wild games on Saturday at Rousey Field against Winona State. The RiverHawks rallied in both in both games taking the opener, 7-5, with the nightcap's 12-11 win coming on a walk off WSU fielding error.
Both games ran long with play finishing just after 6 p.m. and the field coming under darkness. If it wasn't for NSU's run the bottom of the ninth, play would have been suspended, and continued on Sunday.
The Warriors (0-2) came out swinging on their season opener with ten hits in the opening three innings. Most of the WSU contact came through the infield hole and they went up 4-0 on a surprised NSU squad.
In the bottom of the third, Northeastern State plated their first run of the game on a bases loaded walk, and then they overtook WSU with a four run fourth inning. Back-to-back RBI doubles by
Dakota Woods and
Bryce Davenport along with a run on a Winona State error, and a perfectly executed suicide squeeze by
Zane Takhar accounted for NSU's scoring.
NSU picked up a pair of insurance runs in the sixth on a
Chad Reibenspies RBI single to left field and a run on a ground ball double play.
Winona State gave the RiverHawks a scare in the seventh with two outs they had two runners on and one run scored already to get the go-ahead batter at the plate.
Hunter Neal who was at 114 pitches and working on a complete game was removed for
Zach Poehl out of the bullpen. The sidearm thrower, Poehl forced the Warriors to hit into a ground ball fielder's choice to end the game.
Neal (2-1) was charged with the win and went 6 2/3 innings, punching out three WSU batters; Poehl picked up the save for the RiverHawks.
Northeastern State had seven hits in the opener with six walks.
In the nightcap, the RiverHawks were up 7-4 after four innings scoring three on a three run shot by
Tristan Ridenour in the second, and a two run shot by
Jordan Payne in the fourth. Winona State picked up an unearned run in the fifth before going ahead 11-7 on a six run seventh inning.
The bottom half of the seventh continued the wild scoring with
Dylan Adams starting things off with a solo shot. Later with the bases loaded and the sun already glaring at WSU's outfielders a Payne hit a ball that fell in-between the Warrior's left fielder and shortstop to clear the bags to tie the game.
After a scoreless eighth, the RiverHawks put runners on the corners with one out for Davenport who hit a ground ball right to first for the second out. Winona State instead of looking the runner back to third, threw the ball to second which sailed into left field to allow Reibenspies to score the winning run.
At total of 27 hits were made by the RiverHawks and Warriors with Adams and Morse both having three hit games; Payne left the field with five RBI and two hits.
Dustin Berrong (1-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen and recorded the final ten outs.
Zach Parish started the contest and went five innings with one earned run charged in the no-decision.
"It's a team game, a lot of individual performances add up into a team game," said head coach
Jake Hendrick. "The guy who is out there is out there because we trust them, and his teammates trust them. Part of is that it's good to be tested early, good to have failures, and lead that into success."
"You know there is going to be failure and guys picking each other up, guys getting another opportunity, and making the most of it."
The RiverHawks (4-2) will go for the series sweep on Sunday at noon for a single nine inning game.
