TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Washburn baseball team fell in the series opener at Northeastern State on Saturday, 4-0. Game two against the RiverHawks is slated for 2 p.m. on Sunday.
 
In the home half of the second, Northeastern State (14-6, 4-3 MIAA) took a 1-0 lead after hitting a pair of doubles.
 
The Ichabods (15-5, 6-1 MIAA) had runners in scoring position in the second and third innings, but were unable to push a run across.
 
The RiverHawks extended their lead with three runs in fifth frame to hold a 4-0 advantage.
 
Northeastern State's pitchers stayed locked in and held the Ichabods to a single and one walk after the third inning.
 
Cal Watkins was 2-4 at the plate. Zion Bowlin and Trevor McCollum had one hit apiece.
 
Rane Pfeifer was tabbed with the loss, going five innings and allowing four runs on six hits with five walks and six strikeouts. Austin Gerety worked a scoreless sixth inning and Braden Babcock and Julian Zamora worked a clean eighth and ninth.