JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - On a Saturday (March 12) marked by constant rain, the Lincoln baseball team and Northeastern State combined for 27 hits. It was the RiverHawks coming out on top, however, as Northeastern State handed Lincoln a 23-9 loss.

Lincoln tallied 13 hits and Northeastern State finished with 14, but the RiverHawks hit four homeruns and had three other multi-base hits. Mike Million went 4-for-5 at the plate with four RBI and three runs to lead the Blue Tigers while Alex Ludwick, Trevor Schnieders and Jackson Walker finished with two hits apiece.

Northeastern State started strong, scoring eight runs in the top of the first inning to take control of the game. A Ludwick single brought in Million, who got into scoring position by stealing second and third. In the second inning, however, NSU used a two-run homer to increase its lead to 10-1.

Both teams went down 1-2-3 over the next two frames before Ludwick put Lincoln back on the board with a two-run shot that once again plated Million. The RiverHawks answered with a two-run homer of their own in the top of the fourth, giving NSU a 12-3 advantage.

Schnieder led the bottom of the fourth off with a single and took second on a Jackson Walker base hit before a hit from Nick Lovell scored him. Kolton Clark was issued a walk to load the bases, and a base hit by Dillon Walker scored Jackson Walker for LU's fifth run. Million then cut the RiverHawk lead in half with a single to score Lovell.

Northeastern State added another run in the fifth, and the score held at 13-6 until the bottom of the sixth. Million hit a homerun in that inning that brought home both Clark, who reached on a single, and Dillon Walker, who was walked. That made it a 13-9 game, but the RiverHawks managed to score 10 runs in the eighth to end the contest an inning early.

Daniel Castillo, Cameron Massman and Caleb Thomas each had a strikeout in relief roles on the mound while Kaleb Davis led the Blue Tigers with six putouts. Mason Price finished with five putouts and Ludwick tallied four while Million and Clark each added three. Lovell and Dillon Walker each recorded three assists.

The Blue Tigers and the RiverHawks will return to action on Sunday (March 13), with the teams heading to South Callaway High School in Mokane, Mo. to play a nine-inning game at 1:00 p.m. CST.