TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State mounted a pair of comebacks but they would eventually fall 6-5 in 11 innings to #14 Emporia State on Thursday.

The Hornets got the eventual winning run on a solo-shot with one out and snapped a seven game home winning by the RiverHawks.

"We created a lot of opportunities which is a real positive," said head coach Jake Hendrick.  "You want to create opportunities offensively to score runs.  We just didn't quite get that big hit that we needed, they (Emporia State) were very efficient in their offense, they only had seven hits with six runs to that tells you right there that when they have runners in scoring position they will take advantage."  

Northeastern State nearly doubled ESU's hit total with 13 with but they would leave 11 runners stranded.   Three major hits contributed to NSU's five runs with two of them coming from the long ball.  Jordan Payne blasted in 11th homer of the year in the fourth to make the score 3-2 and Bryce Davenport tied the game in the next inning on his fifth long ball of the season.

Emporia State (29-8, 18-5 MIAA) got the go-ahead run in the eighth on a solo homer to left and they added a RBI on a single to pull ahead 5-3.   In the bottom half of the inning, Butch Rea kept his hitting streak alive at 18 with a big two RBI single to tie the game at five.

The RiverHawks left a runner on in the ninth and tenth before ESU hit their game winning home run with one out in the eleventh. 

Hunter Neal dealt heat on the Hornets with eight strikeouts, and he was working a three-hitter into the eighth before giving a home run and single.  Zach Poehl came in and recorded two outs, and Dustin Berrong (3-3) went three innings with five strikeouts. 

NSU's pitching staff struck out 13 which was the most for Emporia State this season.

Northeastern State will continue with the middle contest of the three game series on Friday at 2 p.m.