WARNER - Three runs in the final three innings carried the Northeastern A&M Golden Norsemen to a 5-2 victory over Connors State College Sunday afternoon after the No. 13 ranked Cowboys earned a 10-7 win in the first game at Biff Thompson Field.


The two teams return to NEO's Homa Thomas Field on Monday for a 2 p.m. nine-inning game to conclude the four-game series. With the loss coach Roger Ward's Golden Norse are 25-15 on the season and 7-8 in the Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Cowboys are 41-7 on the season and 12-3 in the league.
Entering the final week of the regular season, the Golden Norse are scheduled to conclude play in the OCAC by hosting the Mountaineers of Eastern State College in a 1 p.m. double-header on Thursday before traveling to Wilburton on Saturday for a 1 p.m. twinbill.
Prior to the start of the Men's Division 1 Region 2 Baseball Tournament slated for May 9-12 at Jenks High School, the Golden Norsemen conclude the regular season next Sunday with a 1 p.m. non-conference double-header with Metropolitan Community College-Longview at Homa Thomas Field.
Connors took advantage of a two-out rally to build a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of Sundays second game. Consecutive singles by Yariel Gonzalez, Philip Diedrick and Victor Claudio accounted for the run.
NEO responded with two runs in the top of the second inning. After Kevin Meyers walked, Jackson Morris singled. Angel Ortiz grounded into a double play with Meyers stopping at third base. Andrew Miller singled scoring Meyers and Kaleb Thomas doubled scoring Miller for a 2-1 NEO lead.
With two outs in the bottom of the third inning, the Cowboys rallied to tie the score on a walk to Gonzalez, a single by Diedrick and a RBI double by Claudio.
Thomas single, stole second and scored on a RBI single by Ramon Laureano in the top of the seventh inning to create a 3-2 NEO lead.
A leadoff single by Thomas started a two-run top of the ninth for the Norsemen. Pinch-hitter Jonathan Stewart walked before Laureano was intentionally passed to fill the bases. Greg Husnander singled scoring both Thomas and Stewart for a 5-2 cushion.
Thomas led the 10-hit Norse offense with three safeties while Laureano and Husnander added two hits each.
A seven-run third inning propelled the Cowboys to a 10-7 victory in Sundays first game. Four walks, two hit batsmen, a fielding error by NEO and two singles ignited the marathon inning for Connors.
Laureano started the game with a triple and scored on a bases loaded walk by Andrew Standifer for NEO's first run in the first inning.
Erick Kirkpatrick hit a two-run home run in the second inning as the Cowboys built a 3-1 lead.
An RBI single by Husnander gave NEO a run in the top of the third inning before the Norse scored two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to trail by a 10-7 deficit.
Meyers collected two of the seven total Golden Norse hits.