TAHLEQUAH – Alyssia Crick hit a walk-off homer in the ninth to highlight a Northeastern State softball split on Thursday afternoon.  The RiverHawks took game one 6-5 over Missouri Western but later fell in the nightcap 13-10 in both teams MIAA opener. 

The split keeps NSU one game below .500 with a 10-11 overall record. 

Crick's homer was her first and came off the second pitch she saw in the ninth.  The win is teams first in extra innings this season and redemption from losing two ten inning games at Missouri Western (11-8, 1-1 MIAA) one year ago. 

The Griffons would force extras after hitting a game-tying two-run homer in the seventh.  

Northeastern State won despite being out-hit by three with Missouri Western getting 13 hits off starter Gail Young (7-4).   Young would spin a complete game and needed 178 points to do so.  

Madison Boyd batted 2-for-4 and had a go-ahead two-RBI double in the fourth. 

In the nightcap, an error latten fourth broke a 2-2 tie and allowed five Griffon runs to score.   Missouri Western would tag NSU's pitchers for four more runs in the fifth and put NSU at risk of being run-ruled after being down 11-2.  

The RiverHawks kept the game alive in the bottom of the fifth with three runs.  

After a scoreless sixth, Missouri Western would get two more valuable runs with a homer to straightaway center.  

Those runs would end up being needed with the RiverHawks batting through the order to score five runs on four hits.  Northeastern State managed to get the tying run at the plate but the game would end on a strikeout. 

Sierra Crick and Jess Schuler both had three RBI games. Haley Acrey went 3-for-4 at the plate.

Northeastern State will remain home to host Northwest Missouri (3-7, 0-2 MIAA) on Friday for an MIAA doubleheader starting at noon at RiverHawks Park.