TOPEKA, Kan. ----- Marshall McPherson belted his first home run in a RiverHawks uniform in a 14-7 loss to Washburn in MIAA baseball action at Falley Field here Saturday.

NSU falls to 12-36 on the year and 9-23 in MIAA play.

The RiverHawks were doubled up not only on runs but were also outhit 16-8.  Blake Freeman and Garrett McClain paced NSU with two hits apiece. Colton Burgess, Alex Massie, Connor West, and McPherson all with one hit each.

Dustin Berrong in his final start for the RiverHawks lasted three innings allowing six runs on seven hits.  Berrong the NSU All-time leader in strikeouts added four more to the tally.

The RiverHawks took a 1-0 lead in the first inning.  Singles from Massie and Burgess and an Ichabods fielding error gave NSU its only lead of the day 1-0.

Washburn responded with four runs in the bottom of the first to lead 4-1 after the opening frame.

Thanks to two Ichabods miscues in the second inning, the RiverHawks pushed a run across on a Freeman single cutting the deficit in half at 4-2.

Northeastern State briefly tied the game in the third inning.  Walks by Burgess and Erick Espinosa led to Garrett McClain's first double of the day, plating two runs tying the game at 4-4.

The Ichabods matched the RiverHawks output with two runs in the third inning and two more in the fifth pushing the lead out to 8-4.

McPherson brought the RiverHawks a little closer in the sixth inning with his solo shot to right field closing the gap to 8-5.

Two more big innings by Washburn with four runs in the sixth and two in the seventh pushed the Ichabods lead to 14-5.

Northeastern State added a run in the eighth and ninth innings to fall 14-7.

The final game of the series and of the 2019 season will be on Sunday.  Game time is set for 12:00 pm.