Apr 25, 2009

Baseball Splits With Bronchos


EDMOND, Okla. ----  Northeastern State's Jacob Lago struck out 10 Bronchos in his final appearance as a RiverHawk, and home runs from Joel Eusebio, Eric McKinney and Taylor Clark led to a 10-7 victory in the opener of the Lone Star Conference double-header at Broncho Field here Saturday afternoon.  Central Oklahoma took the nightcap 15-5 in seven innings.

 

The RiverHawks finish the season at 21-31-1 and 16-26-1 in LSC play.

 

Eusebio's put Northeastern State on top 2-0 in the first inning with his team leading 12th home run of the year, a two-run shot over the center field wall.  Taylor Clark led off the second inning with a solo shot to left field, his sixth of the year to give the RiverHawks a 3-0 lead after two innings.  Northeastern State plated another run in the third as Clark drew a bases loaded walk that scored Brandon Espinal who walked to open the frame for a 4-0 lead.

 

The UCO bats started to fire on all cylinders in the fourth inning.  After being held hitless through three innings, the Bronchos collected four hits and plated five runs to take a 5-4 lead after four innings.

 

Northeastern State responded in the fifth as singles from Eusebio and Matt Huggard, a Blake Neighbors walk and a UCO error led to a two-run fifth inning as the RiverHawks reclaimed the lead at 6-5 and would never relinquish it.  In the RiverHawks sixth,  Neighbors started a two-out rally with a double and scored on a Eusebio singles.  McKinney cleared the bases with his 10th home run of the year giving Northeastern State a 9-5 lead.  The RiverHawks added one more run in the seventh as Kyle Davidson's double scored Matt Smith.

 

Lago gave up two Broncho runs in the seventh but finished off the complete game and finished with a 8-4 mark.

 

In the nightcap, UCO posted six runs in the first inning and never looked back running off with a 15-5 run rule victory in seven innings.

 

In the loss, McKinney belted his 11th home run of the year and Brett Roberts collected his third.  Davidson led the RiverHawks with three hits while Neighbors was 2-2 at the plate with two walks.