Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney baseball team split a weekend series at New Mexico Highlands, winning Friday, 14-4, and Sunday, 14-12.

The Lopers (10-5, 6-2 RMAC) lost a pair of pitching duels on Saturday, 1-0 (8 innings) and 4-2.

On Sunday, UNK scored nine in the top of the first, and two more in the second to lead 11-0, but had to hang on as Highlands (7-8, 3-5 RMAC) pounded out 18 hits and made it a 13-12 game by the eighth.

Senior 1b Andrew Haake (Beatrice) went 4 for 6 and senior OF Patrick Oliver (Broomfield, Colo.) went 3 for 5 with three RBI's to pace the offense while junior lefty Mike Loseke (Arvada, Colo.) got the win in relief.

Haake and Oliver were among seven Lopers to have at least two hits in the game. In the first, UNK scored nine on nine hits and a Highlands error.

In Friday's win, Haake went 3 for 4 and hit a “Grand Slam” in a seven-run sixth that made it a 13-1. Facing Preseason RMAC Pitcher of the Year Trent Evins, UNK tallied 13 runs over the first five innings.

Sophomore catcher Chandler Klute (Kearney) went 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBI's and senior Todd Stachura (Scotia) had another strong outing on the mound, allowing a run over seven innings.

On Saturday, the teams combined for just seven runs and 27 hits in 15 innings.

Senior Roy Metter (Phoenix, Ariz.) suffered a tough loss in game one as he allowed the game's only run in the bottom of the eighth. J.P. Hollywood led off with a double and eventually scored on a single from Clay Mohr.

UNK had five hits in the loss, two coming in the top of the first that put runners at first and third. However, Kyle Sayers got out of the jam and didn't allow a run over seven innings.

In the nightcap, Greg Fowler threw a complete game six-hitter that featured seven strikeouts and no walks.  A two-out, two-run double from Mohr in the fifth broke a two all tie.

UNK stays on the road this weekend with four games at Regis.