TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State fell across Friday's doubleheader at RiverHawks Park, opening their 2025 home and conference schedules with losses in 7-5 and 10-2 decisions.

The early game saw NSU (5-11, 0-2 MIAA) take an opening advantage with a Madison Heinle RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. Washburn (16-7, 2-0 MIAA) responded with five scores in the top of the second, making it a short start for Gracie Turner in the circle, who departed the contest with five hits allowed. Macie Sawney would go on to drive in two off a double to center field, sending the contest to a 5-3 score.

WU would stretch the lead back to four runs with an RBI single in the fifth and a score off a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Maddie Messenger and Madison Heinle each drove in a run in the final stanza, but the late comeback bid was unsuccessful. 

Six different RiverHawks recorded base hits in the loss, led by Heinle and Messenger with three. Korynn Tindel struck out a pair of batters in relief, while Braedyn Sheofee pitched late in the contest and did not surrender a hit across seven batters faced.

In the late game, NSU fell victim to nine Ichabod runs in the second, sending Heinle out of the circle during the frame with five earned runs tagged to her first start against MIAA competition this season. A solo home run in the fourth gave WU the game's first ten scores, while Macie Sawney provided the hosting team's lone RBI of the contest with a two-run homer in the fifth.

Individually, four different players logged hits in game two, with Charlea Cochran recording a double as the only additional extra-base hit beyond the Sawney home run. Sheofee saw 3.2 innings of action in relief and struck out a batter from the circle. 

The RiverHawks conclude the brief homestand by hosting Emporia State for a doubleheader Saturday at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.