TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State rallied back from four runs to beat Pittsburg State 11-6 at Rousey Field on Tuesday afternoon. 

The RiverHawks may have poured on the runs, but it was the stellar effort from Dustin Berrong (3-2) out of the bullpen who struck out nine of the 15 batters he faced that settled the game down.

Dakota Morse went 3-for-4 for the RiverHawks with a pair of RBI, and Butch Rea had three hits with three RBI out of the leadoff spot.  Northeastern State had ten hits as a squad against the Gorillas (12-19, 6-11) who they beat last Tuesday at Pittsburg State.  

PSU opened the third with three straight hits and after a RBI single they had the bases loaded with no outs.  The Gorillas advanced the runners on a sac fly before going up by four on a two RBI single to left field.



Northeastern State plated their first run in the fourth with Morse hitting a single to left field to score Rea from third; PSU would pick that run back up in the next frame with a sac fly to center to go up 5-1.   The RiverHawks followed up in the bottom of the fifth with a big four run inning with Michael Rhea scoring their first RBI on a double down the left field line.  Rea kept the rally going with this third homer of the season to left to plate three runs.

The scoring continued in the sixth for the RiverHawks with Dakota Morse opening the inning with a single to left; Chad Reibenspies followed up and doubled in Morse from first for the go-ahead run.  Jordan Payne kept the run parade in the going same inning and smashed a homer to dead centerfield to score two and pull the RiverHawks ahead 8-5.

Pittsburg State trimmed a run off of the NSU lead in the seventh with a solo shot to left.  But in the bottom half of the inning, Morse pushed the RiverHawks ahead 9-6 on a single down the right field line.  Later in the same frame and with the bases loaded, the RiverHawks scored their tenth run on a PSU balk.  Bryce Davenport added one more in the eighth with his fourth homer of the season to right field to go up 11-6 on the Gorillas.

Berrong went 4 2/3 innings with only two hits given up, and his lone run was a solo homer by PSU in the seventh.  Shayne Warren made the start and threw 3 1/3, Jeremy Mansur had one inning out of the pen.  Northeastern State's pitching staff recorded 12 PSU strikeouts in the win.

Tuesday's win gives the RiverHawks the series win over PSU and they will wrap up the weekday MIAA series at Pitt State on Apr. 4.

In the meantime, Northeastern State (14-11, 8-6 MIAA) will return to the field on Friday at 2 p.m. to open a three game series with Fort Hays State.