TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State set the tone early with an eight run opening inning to run-rule Winona State, 17-5, in seven innings for the series sweep on Sunday.

The RiverHawks hammered out 14 hits on the Warriors' pitching staff with Butch Rea having a three hit afternoon with four RBI in the one-sided win.  Dylan Adams and also had a three hit afternoon with three RBI, and Dakota Woods picked up three RBI on Winona State.

"Nobody likes to be swept and everybody wants to get the opportunity to sweep so you have to come out there with really good energy," said head coach Jake Hendrick.  "To put up a really crooked number like that early it sure does make things nice not only for everyone but also for our freshman on the mound.  I think it allowed him (Nolan Sturgeon) to feel comfortable and settle in even in the innings that things weren't quite going his way, at least the game was already in control."

Sturgeon (1-0) went five complete innings, with two earned runs given up, and a pair of strikeouts.   The NSU freshman needed only 63 pitches before getting relived for James Cowell to record the final six outs.

Northeastern State used 12 batters in the bottom half of the opening inning that lasted nearly 30 minutes with WSU's starter only recording one out before getting taken out.  With the eight run lead, NSU scored on a throwing error by the Warriors and a Michael Rhea single up the middle.

Winona State trimmed down the RiverHawks lead with a run scoring on a balk, single, and triple to make it a 10-3 ballgame in the fifth.  The Warriors got within five in the sixth scoring on a single to left field and a double play that scored a run.

NSU's batters cranked out another crooked number in the sixth with 13 batters coming up to the plate and scoring seven on six hits to get to the 17-5 final score.

The Warriors (0-3) had nine hits on the RiverHawks' pitching combo on Sunday to conclude their first meeting since the 1985 season.

Northeastern State is now 5-2 this season and they will travel to Rogers State in Claremore on Tuesday for a 1 p.m. start in a single nine inning non-conference game.