Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Omaha Maverick softball team swept in-state rival Nebraska-Kearney, 3-1 and 5-4, on Tuesday afternoon at Dryden Park.

UNO pushes its win streak to six straight and is now 20-7 on the year. UNK ends an eight-game home stand and sits at 6-13 on the season.

Game one saw the Lopers out hit the Mavericks seven to four but UNK produced only one run.

Kearney got on the scoreboard first with a solo homer off of the bat of junior 3b Cassie Keck (Blair) in the second inning.

UNO would come back to score two run in the fourth as Lindsey Slocum hit a two-out, two-run double to left.  The Mavs added an insurance run in the sixth as cleanup hitter Kristin Wellwood had an RBI single.

Sophomore Kristie Hiatt (McCook) pitched a complete game, striking out four and walking one. In hier last three appearances, she is 1-2 but has a 1.35 ERA.

Lefty Beth Haylet earned the win for UNO, fanning seven and walking none to improve to 7-1.

In game two, UNO would jump out to an early 2-0 thanks to a two-run home run to left off of the bat of Katelyn Hinton in the second. The Mavs then would tack on three more in the following inning, thanks to three hits, a walk and hit batter. 

UNK would get their first run of the game in the fourth when junior DP Jessie Thomas (Yutan) singled to center field, which scored senior Alissa Larsen (Lincoln) from second base. In the bottom of the sixth, Keck hit a three-run homer to make things interesting.

However, Melissa Negrete came in and pitched two scoreless innings to earn her first save of the spring.

For UNK, freshman Becky Dunn (Papillion) went the distance, blanking the Mavs over the final four innings. She struck out seven and walked just one and is now 3-6 on the year. 

For the day, Keck would go 4 for 6 from the plate with two home runs, a double and four runs RBI's. On the year, she leads the team in homers (six), doubles (four), RBI's (15), total bases (45) and slugging percentage (.804).

This weekend, UNK goes on the road to face Regis on Friday and Saturday because of Easter.