Kearney, Neb. - The Nebraska-Kearney baseball team swept a double header from Wayne State Thursday afternoon at Memorial Field by scoring four runs in the sixth inning of game one, 4-2, and pounding out 17 hits in the nightcap, 14-8.

These were the season openers for both teams. Originally, the four-game series was to have been played this Saturday and Sunday at the Metrodome.

Playing in Kearney for the first time since April 2006, Wayne saw junior right hander Austen Wisroth blank the Lopers for the first five innings in game one.

The 'Cats managed to grab a 2-0 lead as they used two hits, a walk and a UNK error to score a single run in the second. In the next inning, Nick Bidroski was at second when teammate Justin Beranek hit a shallow single to left.

Junior left fielder Daren Grace (Blair) fielded the single and threw a perfect ball to sophomore catcher Chandler Klute (Kearney). However, Bidroski and the ball arrived at the same time and thus Bidroski scored Wayne's final run of the game.

UNK's sixth inning rally started with a one out walk to cleanup hitter Andrew Haake (Beatrice). Three straight singles followed to tie the game and also force Wisroth to the showers.

Klute then hit a slow chopper down the third base line that Wayne didn't field cleanly, allowing Grace (2 for 3) to score the go ahead run. Senior shortstop Brandon Buchanan (Loveland, Colo.) followed with a sac fly to pad the lead.

Thanks to a swirling wind, the Lopers turned a key double play in the top of the seventh. With a runner at first and no outs, a high pop up was caught by senior third baseman Luke Valerius (Golden, Colo.) in fair territory. He then fired to first to kill a potential Wayne rally.

Besides Grace, senior second baseman Jordan Mitchelhill (Australia) and senior DH Gandy Henry (Denver) also had two hits. In relief, senior Roy Metter (Phoenix, Ariz.) worked one inning to get the win with senior Jake Kresse (Omaha) picking up the save.

The bats woke up for both teams in the second game as it UNK led 4-1 after one inning and 7-4 after two complete. UNK eventually was up 9-5 before Wayne tallied three in the top of the fifth to make things interesting.

The 'Cats could've scored more in the fifth but Buchanan turned a key double play to record the first two outs of the inning. The next batter flew out to keep the Loper lead at one.

UNK then erupted for five in the bottom of the inning to regain the momentum. Four hits included doubles by senior catcher Felix Segovia (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Buchanan.

Batting in the nine hole, Buchanan finished 4 for 4 with three doubles, three runs and one RBI. Five other Lopers registered at least two hits with senior center fielder Brian Chritz (Arvada, Colo.) having a homer and double in his first two at-bats to finish 2 for 5 with four RBI's and three runs.

On the mount, Colorado junior Yancy Birch pitched one inning of relief to earn the win while senior Ricky Muir (Easton, Conn.) earned a save by throwing three innings of scoreless relief.

The teams play another double header Friday at noon.