TAHLEQUAH, Okla. --- Jaxon Phipps belts two home runs and drove in three runs as the RiverHawks fell 9-6 to Emporia State in the home finale at Thomas C. Rousey Field this season.

Northeastern State falls to 12-34 on the year and 9-21 in MIAA play.

Phipps accounted for the first and last NSU runs with his solo blast in the third inning tied the game at 1-1 and the other coming in the ninth inning.  Behind Phipps, three other RiverHawks had a multi-hit game.  Blake Freeman was 3-5 at the plate with three singles, Alex Massie was 2-5 with a double and Colton Burgess was 2-4 with a double and RBI.

NSU starter Trevor Smith(2-6) went 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and struck out four.

Emporia State plated a run in the opening inning for the early advantage.  Phipps erased the deficit with a single swing in the third inning, belting his fifth home run of the year tying the game at 1-1.

The game remained tied until the fifth inning when the Hornets belted a two-run home run for a 3-1 lead.  NSU cut that deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth.  Phipps collected his second RBI of the game on a ground out to trail 3-2 after five innings.

The NSU bullpen gave up two bases-loaded walks and passed ball allowed three Hornets runs pushing the lead to 6-2.

Northeastern State loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh inning. A ground out, a Burgess double and ESU error led to a three-run inning pulling the RiverHawks to within a run at 6-5.

Emporia State plated three big runs in the ninth inning extending its lead to 9-5.

Phipps hit a solo shot to left field, his sixth of the year in the ninth is the offense the RiverHawks could generate falling 9-5.

The RiverHawks will travel to take on the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith on Tuesday before heading to Washburn to close out the 2019 season.