TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State picked up their third win in a row beating Fort Hays State 5-4 in what would be a strange ending at Rousey Field on Friday afternoon.
 
The game had two separate endings with a third out that was overturned while the RiverHawks were concluding their handshakes and departing the field.  After everything was sorted out again and NSU returned to their positions they beat the Tigers on a strikeout to move to 11-2 at home this season.
 
"We had to play one more out but that's the way it goes sometimes," said head coach Jake Hendrick.  "Dustin (Berrong) came in after that and closed the thing down."
 
"We need to be a little better offensively to tell the truth, we got to grind out at-bats, and really work harder from that standpoint."
 
Northeastern State (15-11, 9-6 MIAA) collected seven hits with Dylan Adams scoring two runs and two RBI.
 
After ending the first two innings on a double play, the RiverHawks picked up their first run on a towering shot from Jordan Payne for his seventh homer of the season.    Northeastern State added to their lead in the sixth with FHSU committing a pair of errors to allow three NSU runs to score in the frame.  Adams singled in two runs with a hit to left field and he later scored from first on a throwing error from third base.
 
Fort Hays State (8-20, 1-14 MIAA) cut the RiverHawks' lead in half in the seventh with two outs they singled in a run, and scored their second run on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch.   The Tigers threatened in the eighth after hitting a single and walk to start the frame.  A sac bunt moved the runners up 90 feet but Zach Poehl who came in to record the final out in the seventh, struck out the final two batters to get out of the jam.
 
Butch Rea gave Northeastern State an insurance run in the bottom half of the eight with a sac fly to right field to move their lead to 5-2.
 
The ninth inning started off with a strange liner to Poehl that struck his foot and flew up ten feet above the mound.  Poehl would manage to catch the ball and throw out the Tiger runner at first.  However, he would need to be removed from the game with Zack Hammock coming in for the save opportunity.  Hammock walked the first runner he faced and then the next FHSU batter hit a shot that barely cleared to left field wall. 
 
Now at a 5-4 ballgame, Hammock retired the next batter on a ground ball out before things got dicey on an infield chopper.  At first, the calling on the field was out and NSU collectively believed the game was over.  However, Fort Hays' head coach asked for an appeal that overturned the play and awarded the runner safe a first.  Hendrick would be forced to use Dustin Berrong who threw 73 pitches on Tuesday's win against Pitt State. Berrong quickly shut down the drama in three pitches with a strikeout.
 
Hunter Neal (4-2) picked up the win and went 6 2/3 innings, with seven strikeouts.  Pohel went 1 2/3 and punched out three and Berrong recorded his third save of the season.
 
Due to the increasing possibility of rain on Sunday, Northeastern State will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11:30 a.m. to conclude the series.