TAHLEQUAH, Okla.--- Northeastern State's Jaxon Phipps was 4-6 at the plate and Alex Massie drove in four as the RiverHawks dropped the final game of the series 14-9 to Lindenwood in MIAA baseball action at Thomas C. Rousey Field Sunday.

The loss drops NSU to 3-21 on the year and 2-10 in conference action.

Early miscues and the inability to capture the third out of an inning was the Achilles heel for the RiverHawks.  

The Lions opened the game with two runs in the first inning and another in the second to lead 3-0.

The RiverHawks bats came alive in the second inning, Gabe Simons singled, and Justin Murphey earned a walk. Blake Freeman doubled to left center to plate one run and Erick Espinosa singled home two more to tie the game at 3-3.  Massie's sacrifice fly later in the inning gave NSU a 4-3 after two innings.

The Lions matched four-run NSU second inning with six runs to the third to regain the lead for good at 9-4.
Lindenwood would score nine runs in the first three innings, all after NSU was able to record two outs in each frame.

Northeastern State tried to chip into the deficit, Simons walked to open the third inning and scored on a Michael Conn double.  Conn later crossed the plate on a wild pitch to pull to within 9-6. That is as close as the RiverHawks would get.

The Lions would add insurance runs over the final innings capturing 14-9. Lindenwood outhit Northeastern State 17-15, and the RiverHawks three errors led to six unearned runs. 

James Cowell took the mound in his first start of the year for the RiverHawks. He went two and two-thirds innings, gave up four earned runs and struck out two.  Brayden Boyd was effective in his relief role. He threw four innings, allowed one run on three hits and struck out two.

Next action for the RiverHawks will be on Tuesday when it travels to take on Arkansas-Ft. Smith.