STAYIN' ALIVE: RiverHawks overcome six-run deficit to knock off Washburn

May 21—MAGNOLIA, Ark. — Northeastern State isn't done yet.

The RiverHawks stunned Washburn with a late rally, completed by a Matt Kaiser walk-off single in the ninth inning and defeated the Ichabods, 14-13, Friday in a loser's bracket game of the NCAA Central Region II Tournament at Goodheart Field at Walker Stadium.

It's the first NCAA Tournament win in program history for NSU, who improved to 38-17 overall.

"What do you even say? There's been a lot of firsts this year for this club," NSU head coach Jake Hendrick said. "I was driving up here with James [Cullinane], my assistant, and said, 'I'd like to see this one knocked off too. I'd like to see the first NCAA Tournament win done by this team.' You've accomplished it, we've accomplished it."

The sixth-seeded RiverHawks will play the (3) Henderson State/ (2) Southern Arkansas loser at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

"We kind of get to play with house money tomorrow, I think," Hendrick said. "To me, feeling a W under your belt is going to free these guys up. They're capable of being great, and we haven't been great yet in the first two games, but we found a way to win one. It could be a lot of fun tomorrow."

Kaiser's clutch single came with one out and dropped into center field, allowing pinch runner Lucas McCain to score from second base. McCain ran for C.D. White, who got the RiverHawks even with an RBI-single to right center that brought home Blaze Brothers. Brothers doubled to left field to lead off the inning.

"A lot of tremendous swings there down the stretch from a lot of different guys," Hendrick said.

"I was just playing the game," said White, who made an important base-running decision to get to second base on an errant throw following his single. "I just want to do the little things right and let things come together. I just read the ball from the outfield in the air from the cutoff and I knew that was my chance as a big boy to take another base."

NSU began chipping away at a six-run deficit in the seventh on a one-out, three-run homer to left field by Kademon Graff. It got the RiverHawks to within 13-10 and followed a Tucker Dunlap single to center and a single by Collin Klingensmith to right center.

In the eighth, Brayden Rodden smacked a two-run homer to left center to make it 13-12. It came after White reached on an error by Washburn shortstop Cal Watkins.

"Kademon with the swing in the seventh, that was a big one," Hendrick said. "Rodden had a big one in the eighth, C.D. had the big swing in the ninth to tie it up, and Kaiser had the winner up the middle. There were a lot of big time swings in big moments for us."

NSU relief pitcher Jake Bigham was in a much different spot Friday. Bigham, normally the closer, worked in 5.1 innings of relief and threw 101 pitches. The right-hander allowed five earned runs on five hits. He finished with five strikeouts and issued three walks.

"I think getting ahead early was the biggest thing," Bigham said. "I just wanted to keep us in the game. Our hitters have come through for us all year, and that's really all I was trying to do...keep it close enough for them to explode like they do."

"A lot of credit for [Jake]," Hendrick said. "I don't know how many pitches he threw, but it's the most he's probably thrown in his whole career. He left it all out on the baseball field for the opportunity to play again tomorrow."

Cohen Bell (5-1) notched the win on the mound for NSU. Bell didn't allow a run and surrendered two hits in 2.1 innings.

NSU got off to a fast start with a three-run first inning, highlighted by a two-run triple to right center field by Kaiser, who finished with two hits and knocked in three runs.

Washburn (33-22) answered back immediately with seven runs in the second inning and chased NSU starting pitcher Lee Callison. The Ichabods, who had 10 batters come to the plate in the inning, were sparked by Quinn Waterbury's two-run double down the left field line.

Washburn took its largest lead of 13-7 after a three-run seventh. Easton Bruce belted a solo home run, and Watkins had an RBI double to fuel the Ichabods.

Blake Freeman and Kademon Graff each had three hits to pace an NSU lineup that ended with 16 hits. Graff joined Kaiser with three RBIs. Brothers and Tucker Dunlap had two hits apiece.

Watkins led Washburn with three hits. The Ichabods closed with 12 hits as a team.

Dalton Huggins (5-3) took the loss for Washburn. Huggins faced five batters in the ninth and allowed two earned runs on three hits.