By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the first time in his Northeastern State baseball career, Reid Fehr finally got the chance Saturday to play in his home town of Topeka.
The former Seaman three-sport athlete made the most of his opportunity, turning in a big performance at the plate as the RiverHawks rallied from 4-0 and 6-3 deficits to take a 13-6 MIAA win over Washburn in the first game if a three-game series.
Fehr went three for five on the day with a home run, four runs batted in and two runs scored, experiencing the kind of homecoming that athletes dream about.
"Absolutely,'' said Fehr, a six-year senior. "It's awesome to come home and get the first game of a series. Now we're looking forward to (Sunday's) doubleheader and just get after them again.''
Northeastern State senior center-fielder Reid Fehr celebrates his three-run home run in the sixth inning of Saturday's 13-6 RiverHawks win over Washburn at Falley Field. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Even though he had never played at Falley Field in a RiverHawks uniform, Fehr is very familiar with Washburn's home stadium and said he felt like he was in his comfort zone.
"I love coming here and playing,'' he said. "I felt like I've always played good here at Washburn and there's just something about playing at home. I just feel comfortable here.''
Washburn, which fell to 5-9 overall and 5-5 in the MIAA, broke open a scoreless tie with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, including a two-run double from Parker Dunn, but Fehr got the RiverHawks (9-3, 7-4) back in the hunt with a three-run home run over the left field fence in the top of the sixth.
The Ichabods scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run double from Xavier De Leon, but Fehr capped a three-run seventh for Northeastern State with a two-out, run-scoring single that tied the game at 6-6 and the RiverHawks scored seven runs over their final two at-bats to take control as Fehr added another single.
The RiverHawks finished with 16 hits on the day, including four extra-base hits, while Washburn finished with nine hits.
De Leon finished the day two for four with three RBIs for Washburn while Dunn also had two hits and drove in two runs.
Between the two teams, a combined 16 pitchers appeared in the contest, including a different pitcher in all nine innings for the RiverHawks.
The series will wrap up Sunday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
NORTHEASTERN STATE BASEBALL 13, WASHBURN 6
Northeastern (9-3, 7-4) 000 003 334 -- 13 16 1
Washburn (5-9, 5-5) 000 042 000 -- 6 9 4
Romero, Key (2), Summers (3), Connor Bell (4), Cohen Bell (5), Neal (6), Callison (7), Rains (8), Jones (9) and Rodden. Pfeifer, Huggins (5), Bennett (7), Bond (7), Zamora (7), Casillas (8), Philbin (9) and Bay. W -- Rains (1-0). L -- Zamora (0-1). 2B -- Northeastern State: Brothers, Klingensmith, White; Washburn: De Leon, Ingram, Dunn. HR -- Northeastern State: Fehr.
