OKLAHOMA CITY – The RiverHawks opened the 2021 spring season playing at Southern Nazarene at Putnam City High School field on a cold morning. They scored three runs in the third inning and held on for a 6-4 victory. Originally scheduled for a doubleheader, the decision was made to play one as the weather worsened in the late innings.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Northeastern State 6, Southern Nazarene 4
Records: Northeastern State 1-0, Southern Nazarene 0-1
NSU Pitcher of Record: John Rains (1-0); Nic Swanson (1)

HOW IT HAPPENED

T.J. Mullins got the opening day nod and threw three innings walking two early, but catcher Brayden Rodden controlled the base paths throwing two Crimson Storm runners out attempting to steal through the first two innings. Mullins threw 3.0 innings striking out two and allowed one hit.

The RiverHawks got on the board in the top of the third when Tucker Dunlap was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Reid Fehr hit a deep drive that caromed off the wall in right-center for a triple. Rodden then singled up the middle to plate Fehr. Two batters later, Blake Freeman hit a towering fly ball that landed in fair in left field to score Rodden. 

SNU got its first hit in the bottom half but first baseman C.D. White nabbed the lead runner at third base on a sacrifice bunt attempt to halt any chance of answering. 

NSU threatened again in the fourth with its first two runners reaching base. It continued to battle at the plate in the fifth as Collin Klingensmith walked, Freeman singled to right field to bring Klingensmith from corner to corner and Jaxon Phipps hit a dribbler to third that scored Klingensmith. White then had a solid single to center field to score Freeman.

The Crimson Storm's top of the order pushed four runs across in the bottom half of the fifth off a typical starter, Jonathan Smithey, who worked in relief. Only two of the runs were earned.

In the eighth Chaz Orr walked and was pinch run for by Corbin Lill who stole second then scored on an error to give the RiverHawks a two-run cushion, 6-4. 

Nic Swanson came on in the eighth and pitched two innings for his third career save.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Freeman had two of the RiverHawks' six hits. His 29th multiple-hit game.
• All three NSU starters for 2021 threw in the game.
• Both teams left seven runners on base.