TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State walked off No. 3 Central Missouri 5-4 in the second game of the doubleheader Saturday afternoon. The RiverHawks held a two-run cushion after eight frames and continued their late-inning heroics on a Brayden Rodden single to score Reid Fehr.
 
With the win, the second over a top-10 nationally-ranked opponent of the season, NSU improves to 24-12 (21-8 in MIAA) and 12-3 at Thomas C. Rousey Field. The Mules won the first game 16-1, but NSU averages 2.2 runs in the seventh inning or later.
 
The RiverHawks and Mules (30-6, 26-3 in MIAA) each tallied eight hits apiece and four of the eight total runs were scored after the seventh inning.
 
Nic Swanson got the start for the RiverHawks and remained undefeated by going 7.0 innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out eight of the top hitting team in the conference.
 
UCM got on the board first on a tough judgment call that resulted in an inside-the-park home run in the second inning. The RiverHawks quickly responded in the bottom of the third on a line drive triple off the bat of Blaze Brothers that plated Connor Bell.
 
NSU used a three-run fifth to jump ahead of UCM 4-1 and saw three pitchers in the frame. Pinch hitter Cade Gonzales got on via a fielder's choice, stole second and drew an errant pickoff throw to advance to third with just one out. Reid Fehr, Brothers and Rodden each singled before Collin Klingensmith drew a walk ahead of a Blaze Freeman single.
 
The Mules had two singles in the top of the eighth to bring the margin to just two runs. Rodden cut down a runner trying to steal for the third out of the inning.
 
Dakodah Jones (4-2) came on in search of his conference-leading eighth save and got two quick strikeouts with a double sandwiched between. After a walk, an error loaded the bases and the UCM three-hole hitter drove both in on a single to right the very next batter.
 
Reid Fehr singled deep in the hole that forced a long throw from shortstop before stealing second base with two outs. Rodden delivered a chopper through the left side to score Fehr as he beat the off-line throw.

Fehr, Brothers, Rodden and Freeman each had two hits in the game and NSU's 9-1-2-3-4 hitters were 8-20 with two walks.
 
Northeastern State hosts Central Missouri for the rubber game Sunday with a tentative start time of 1 p.m.