TAHLEQUAH – A seven-run second inning by Emporia State was enough offense to hold the RiverHawks in a 13-8 loss at Thomas C. Rousey Field on Saturday afternoon. 

The loss splits the three-game series with the RiverHawks falling to 12-33 overall and 9-20 in the MIAA. 

Colton Burgess had a two-hit game, three runs, and a homer.  Erick Espinosa homered and tallied two RBI for NSU.   Jaxon Phipps scored two and had two hits. 

Northeastern State drew ten walks but left 13 on base and leaving the bases loaded twice.

Emporia State (26-17, 18-11 MIAA) jumped ahead in the second and went through their lineup for six hits. The Hornets hit four doubles and a homer to go up to seven runs on the RiverHawks.

NSU cut into the Hornets lead in the third with a Zack Henderson RBI double, and a pair of bases-loaded walks.

The Hornets took the three runs back in the fourth before  Burgess hit his ninth homer of the season in the bottom half of the inning to make it a 10-4 ballgame.

Emporia added a run in sixth to extend their lead to seven. In the bottom half of the frame, Espinosa cut the ESU lead down by a pair with a homer to right field.

NSU got within four of the Hornets in the eighth after an error allowed Burgess to score.  Despite the rally by the RiverHawks, ESU plated two more insurance runs in the ninth to put them ahead 13-7.

Alex Massie tripled in the ninth to score NSU's eighth run of the game.

The RiverHawks used four seniors to pitch on Saturday with Dustin Berrong getting the start.  James Cowell, Trevor Nance, and Brayden Boyd all came out of the bullpen in relief.
 
Despite committing six errors, Emporia State out-hit the RiverHawks 15-to-9.

The RiverHawks will wrap up the series on Sunday with a nine-inning contest at 1 p.m.