TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State continued its strong start to the season on Friday evening, powering past Newman, 7-1, at RiverHawks Park.

The RiverHawks (20-11, 7-3 MIAA) reached the 20-win mark before the end of March for the first time since 2018, fueled by timely hitting and a steady performance in the circle.

After Newman struck first with a solo home run in the opening inning, Northeastern State answered quickly and never looked back. The RiverHawks broke the game open in the second inning, highlighted by Halle Hance's two-run homer — her second long ball against the Jets on Friday to give NSU a 4-1 advantage.

NSU added insurance throughout the game, including a solo home run from Emily Carpenter in the fifth inning and a run-scoring groundout in the sixth to extend the lead to six.

In the circle, Aubree Saporito (4-1) earned the win, allowing just one run on three hits over five innings while keeping the Jets off balance. Gracie Turner closed the door with two scoreless innings of relief.

Northeastern State finished with six hits and capitalized on key opportunities, while limiting Newman to just three hits on the night.

The victory also continued a dominant trend at home, as the RiverHawks improved to 9-0 all-time against the Jets in Tahlequah.

Northeastern State returns to action Saturday, hosting No. 16 Central Oklahoma at 4 p.m. in an MIAA doubleheader.