TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State remained perfect at home in MIAA action with 13-10 and 4-2 wins over Lindenwood on Saturday afternoon.  The highlight of the day was a ten run sixth inning for the RiverHawks in an improbable come from behind win in the opener.

Lindenwood (16-18, 5-11 MIAA) pushed the RiverHawks on the edge of being run-ruled leading 10-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth.

Paige Gann opened the wild inning off with a solo homer to left and after a fly out Jess Schuler cleared the fence on the third pitch.   Kelsey Harmon singled and advanced to second before the RiverHawks recorded the second out of the inning. 

Northeastern State would plate eight more runs with two outs on the scoreboard.   With the score at 10-7, Gann on her second at-bat of the inning hit a two RBI single up the middle to get the RiverHawks within a run.  Haley Acrey followed up with a RBI double to left to tie the game at 10-10.    

Schuler with two runners on and the game tied, cleared the bases for her second home run of the frame to cap their comeback.   The NSU sophomore is only the seventh player in NCAA Division II history to record two homers in the same inning.

Alex Azua (1-2) inherited the game in the first with the RiverHawks down 7-0, and went 5 1/3 innings for her first win of the season.   Gail Young picked up her fourth save and was the starting pitcher after a pair of errors in the first allowed seven unearned runs to cross home plate.

In the nightcap, stellar defense highlighted the contest.  Addison Elbon in the fourth with the RiverHawks leading 3-2 halted the tying run and gunned down the advancing Lindenwood runner at home to end the inning.   

In the sixth, with the tying runner at first and one out, Gann snagged a liner at first and the tag for another inning ending double play.  Elbon, in bottom half of the inning grabbed an insurance run for the RiverHawks with two outs for her second RBI of the game.

Sydney Balderrama (10-4) tossed her ninth complete game of the season, and won her third start in a row.

With 16 games remaining in the regular season, the RiverHawks sit at 22-15 overall (10-4 MIAA), and are one win off from their 2017 overall total. 

Northeastern State will be on the road this Tuesday to play Washburn in a rescheduled doubleheader.  The Ichabods are presently sitting in first in the league standings with an 11-1 record (27-8 overall).