Kearney, Neb. – The University of Nebraska-Kearney softball team picked up its first weekend series win over New Mexico Highlands on Friday and Saturday afternoons in Las Vegas, N.M.

UNK won the series opener, 6-5, and swept Sunday's games, 2-1 and 17-8 (5 innings). The Cowgirls managed to win the second game of the weekend, 4-2.

In Friday's first game, the Lopers (15-26, 15-18 RMAC) scored four runs in the first inning when junior centerfielder Austin Wilson (McCook) hit her third homer of year to score the first run, senior DP Jessie Thomas (Yutan) hit a single with the bases loaded to score senior C Cassie Keck (Blair), and then freshman 3b Sarah Rome (Fort Calhoun) reached on an error that allowed two to score.

Highlands (10-39, 6-30 RMAC) cut the lead to one in the bottom of the third by scoring three runs on a single by cleanup hitter Roxanne Avalos (3 for 4) and double hit to left by 3b Alyssa Ramirez.

Kearney added two more run in its half of the sixth as Rome hit a two-run homer that scored junior RF Allie Frost (Valley), who led off the inning with a double to left.

The Cowgirls did score single runs in their half of the sixth and seventh innings. Junior Kirstie Hiatt (McCook), throwing another complete game, got a line out to end the seventh with the tying run at second.

In game two, Highlands scored the first runs of the game in the fourth when number nine hitter Alysha Alvarez singled back up the middle with the bases loaded and then, two batters later, LF Samantha Butler singled to center to score another Cowgirl.

Alvarez (3 for 3) added another RBI single in the fifth as Highlands pushed its lead to 4-0. Kearney got on the scoreboard in the sixth when freshman LF Whitney Frederick (Blair) hit her third homer of the year and Keck (2 for 3) had an RBI double.

However, those were two of UNK's three hits for the game against senior Ashley Paiz (4-13).

On Saturday morning in game one, Highlands got on the board first when Butler tripled to left and Avalos brought her home with a single to left. Hiatt then blanked HU for the next six innings.

UNK finally broke through against Melissa Martinez (6-24) in the top of the seventh when junior SS Ali Seberger (Lexington) hit a two-run homer, her ninth of the year, with one out. Thomas had tripled the batter before to put the tying run on base.

Hiatt picked up her 12th win of the year by pitching her 19th complete game. She struck out five Cowgirls, walked just two and allowed only four hits.

In the series finale, the Loper bats exploded for 17 runs on 17 hits (14 being singles) in five innings. The Lopers scored 10 in the first thanks to eight hits, two errors, a walk and hit batter.

Freshman Bailey Backhuus (Bennington) picked up her second win by allowing seven earned in 4.1 innings. Sophomore Becky Dunn (Papillion) then closed out HU by getting the last two outs in the fifth.

Seven different Lopers had two or more hits in the game with Seberger and Frost each knocking in three runs and Wilson scoringn four times.

Nebraska-Kearney is scheduled to play Fort Hays State on Tuesday afternoon and closes out the regular season versus Metro State.