TAHLEQUAH – A late rally came up short for the RiverHawks in a 6-5 loss to Central Oklahoma on Friday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader. 

Trailing by three runs in the bottom of the ninth, the RiverHawks would plate two runs and manage to load the bases with two outs.

The loss drops NSU to 10-27 and 7-16 in the MIAA.

The Bronchos (21-14, 14-9 MIAA) grabbed an early run off the RiverHawks with a two-out homer to left off starter Dustin Berrong.

Northeastern State would get into UCO's bullpen early after a liner off the bat of Colton Burgess hit the Bronchos' starter Colton Croft on his throwing arm.

A leadoff error by UCO in the fourth put Jaxon Phipps on.  Playing small-ball, the RiverHawks would get Phipps to third for Alex Massie who hit a sac fly to right to tie the game with the Bronchos at 1-1.

In the fifth, a leadoff walk and a second fielding error by the Bronchos put runners on the corners for the RiverHawks.  Blake Freeman tied the game for NSU on a sac fly to center to score Alex Brough in from third for the go-ahead run. 

Garrett McClain added an insurance run in the sixth for his first career homer to left to give NSU a two-run lead.   

The Bronchos grabbed a run back in the top of the seventh after leading the frame off with a double.  A one-out ground out to short plated the run home from third to get back within one of NSU.   Central Oklahoma tied the game in the eighth after opening the inning with back-to-back singles.  NSU caught a break in the same inning with a runner at third being called out for leaving early in what would have been the go-ahead run on a sac fly. 

Central stung again in the ninth with a leadoff triple and they would score three runs off a pair of hits. 

Berrong went 5 2/3 innings with seven strikes outs in the no-decision on 88 pitches.  Nolan Sturgeon (2-2) was charged with the loss and recorded one out in the ninth. 

NSU had seven total hits with Massie going 2-for-4 at the plate.