ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – After securing its fifth-straight MIAA series win on Saturday NSU fell to Missouri Western 8-3 Sunday afternoon. The RiverHawks allowed two four-run innings powered by two three-run homers and couldn't make up the margin in a bullpen day.
 
THE BASICS
Final score: Missouri Western 8, Northeastern State 3
NSU pitcher of record: Quinten Romero (0-1)
Records: NSU 12-6 (10-5 in MIAA), MWSU 6-14 (5-10 in MIAA)

HOW IT HAPPENED
The RiverHawks' again tasked the bullpen with naviagating the entire game. Romero got his second straight start and got the first two Griffon batters to fly out. He then walked a batter, allowed a single, walked another and threw a wild pitch to fall behind. Missouri Western's Bailey Crump delivered his first of two three-run home runs to left field to put NSU down 4-0.
 
Blake Freeman led off the top of the second inning by reaching second base on an error by the first baseman before Jaxon Phipps drove a deep fly ball to center field that scored him from second. The sacrifice fly was unearned on the Griffons starter.
 
Jon Moll and Cohen Bell pitched scoreless frames before NSU got back within one in the fourth. Freeman again led off this time singling and advancing to second a passed ball before Phipps drove a ball over the center field wall for his sixth home run of the season. C.D. White singled to center but a double play ball and ground out got MWSU out of the inning with a one-run cushion.
 
Lee Callison struck out the side in the fourth and Cal Howard put the Griffons down in order in the next two innings.
 
Seth Key allowed five hits and the first six batters to reach against him in the sixth. With runners on second and third, Crump delivered his second long ball of the game to push the lead to 7-3. Missouri Western then got a double, a runner on via an error and a single to plate its eighth run.
 
John Rains pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings to give NSU a chance late. White led off the ninth with a single to left center and with two outs Reid Fehr singled to left himself. A mental error by the Griffons shortstop allowed the speedy Blaze Brothers to reach on a fielder's choice. NSU's leading RBI getter, Brayden Rodden, stepped to the plate with the bases loaded but lined out to right field.

INSIDE THE BOX

• White and Fehr each had two singles in the game.
• Freeman extended his hit streak to 23 games and scored two runs.
• Phipps drove in all of NSU's runs.
• NSU has won five-straight MIAA series and the bullpen day was the fifth of the season for the RiverHawks.

UP NEXT
NSU returns to Thomas C. Rousey Field Tuesday to host Southwestern Oklahoma (9-7, 8-7 in GAC) at 2 p.m. The RiverHawks have not played in Tahlequah since March 9.