TAHLEQUAH –
Isaiah Keller and
Gage Williams homered twice, while the RiverHawks matched their season-best total on hits against MIAA competition for the season with 17, but Rogers State emerged victors of a high-scoring affair in a 21-13 outcome Sunday.
Northeastern State (19-19, 10-13 MIAA) opened strong, scoring off a three-run shot from Williams. However, Rogers State (19-16, 10-13 MIAA) found a forceful answer with 16 runs over the first third of the encounter, including seven in the first and eight in the second. The RiverHawks would not be held off the board in any inning in the opening third either, as they responded with a run in the second and three more in the third, which included a Keller home run.
After utilizing six pitchers in the game's first 2.1 innings,
Trey Havens went the next 3.2 frames and assisted in leaving the Hillcats off the board across the middle third. The drought allowed the RiverHawks to break a nine-run disadvantage down to three, taking a 16-13 contest into the bottom half of the seventh. The hosts reasserted control after, scoring five unanswered to finish the contest.
The two sides combined for 39 base hits and 34 runs from the matchup. Northeastern wrapped up a strong offensive series against their in-state rival, a three-game slate where the RiverHawks claimed 26 runs and 43 base hits. Every member of the RiverHawks' starting lineup finished with a base hit, with Williams and
Tyson Fourkiller leading with three each. Williams drove in a team-best five runs across his standout day.
Kyle Duffey received his third loss of the season and was responsible for a strikeout, while
Cole White accounted for the remaining two among NSU's staff.
The RiverHawks travel to face Central Oklahoma at Edmond on Tuesday, with the start at 5 p,m.
