BRANSON, Mo. – Northeastern State wrapped up their two-day, four-game stint in Branson on Wednesday, dropping a 7-1 contest to #20 McKendree early before falling to Augustana in a narrow 6-5 defeat late in the afternoon.

The early matchup against the Bearcats saw the NSU bats limited to three hits. The RiverHawks (6-16) found an RBI double in the fifth inning from Drew Hawkins, while Madison Heinle matched a career high with nine strikeouts from the circle. The Bearcats would find nine hits and seven total scores, including a four-run second inning, to propel them to the victory over the RiverHawks in their first meeting since 2018.

The RiverHawks were held without a run across the first six innings against Augustana, falling behind 4-0 in the process. NSU would go on to benefit from a pair of errors from the opposition in the seventh, while collecting three of their five base hits on the contest during the inning to rally and take a 5-4 edge. The tying and go-ahead scores would come home for the Vikings on a two-RBI double in the bottom half of the inning to clinch the victory for Augustana.

Individually, Charlea Cochran and Lauryn Heinle recorded two-hit performances in the late game, while Korynn Tindel logged a base hit and drove in two runs. Gracie Turner went six innings from the circle with four strikeouts, while Tindel retired one batter in relief late. 

NSU returns to conference action on Friday in St. Joseph, Mo. to clash with Missouri Western in a doubleheader.