EMPORIA, Kan. -- Northeastern State split Friday's series-opening doubleheader with Emporia State, taking a 2-1 triumph in ten innings early before stumbling to a 10-0 defeat late.
The offenses never completely took off for either side in the first game. There were only eight base hits combined, with five belonging to the RiverHawks (14-15, 5-10 MIAA). Another dominant start from
CJ Briley saw the senior go eight innings and only allow a single ESU run in the fourth inning, while striking out five batters.
Kyle Duffey picked up his first win of the season by going the next two innings and providing a three-strikeout performance across an effort of shutout production from the mound.
Both of the team's runs occurred in the second half of the matchup, as
C.D. White provided the tying run off an RBI double to bring home
Drew Miller in the sixth, while
Korben Ford accounted for the eventual winning play on a double of his own to send
Isaiah Keller across home plate in the top of the tenth.
The Hornets mustered an answer in the second game with a stellar run of shutout baseball from their late game pitching staff, as the RiverHawks were left off the board and held to two base hits across the evening. Five first-inning runs for the Hornets were accompanied by four more in the fourth and another to end the contest early in the bottom of the seventh.
A
Gage Williams double in the fifth broke up a no-hit bid for the Hornets, who got a complete game from Graham Brunner.
Isaiah Keller singled the following stanza for the only other base hit of the ballgame for NSU, who used six different pitchers in game two.
Christian Johnson got hit with the loss after failing to make it out of the first and giving up four earned runs.
Northeastern State finishes the series tomorrow at 1 p.m.
