Kearney, Neb. - Senior shortstop Blake Cover became Nebraska-Kearney's all-time leader in runs scored as he was one of five Lopers to hit a homer in an 11-2 win at NW Missouri State Tuesday afternoon.

Beating the Bearcats for the third time this year, UNK (27-15) cools off a Northwest team (16-28) that had won 11 of its last 14 games.

The five homers are a season-high for Kearney and the most since the 2008 squad hit five in an April win at Colorado Christian.

Coming into the game with 24 dingers as a team, the Lopers got out of the gates fast as senior 1b Andrew Haake (2 for 4) and junior CF Nick Arapkiles (Broomfield, Colo.) each went deep in the top of the second to make it a 3-0 ball game.

Haake's team-leading seventh homer started the second with Arapkiles hitting a two-run shot, his second of the year, a few batters latter.

After junior DH Mike Stamp (2 for 4) hit a two-run shot, his first of 2010, to highlight a three-run Loper fourth, a five-run sixth included a solo shot from Cover (Kearney Catholic) and a three-run bomb from junior C Felix Segovia (2 for 4, two runs).

This marks Cover's 180th run scored, surpassing the record of 179, set by Mike Radcliff between 1996-99. The homer also pushes Cover's career hit total to 248, just five from breaking Travis Kerkman's all-time mark of 252.

While Kearney was having its way with Northwest pitching, junior Austin Parker (Brighton, Colo.) was controlling the 'Cats offense. Improving to 4-1, he struck out seven in five full innings, including five in a row over the second and third innings.

Four Loper hurlers then threw four scoreless innings in relief, combining for two more K's.

UNK hosts Colorado State-Pueblo in a key three-game RMAC series this weekend. Friday's nights single nine inning game can be heard live on KGFW AM 1340 and at www.lopers.com.