Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, and senior Jake Kresse tied the school record for saves in a season, as the Lopers slipped past New Mexico Highlands, 6-3, in an RMAC Tournament first round game Thursday afternoon in Grand Junction, Colo.

The top-seeded Lopers (33-15) will play Metro State Friday at approximately 4:30 p.m. Central. The third-seeded Roadrunners (29-16) fell 7-2 to CSU-Pueblo in the second game Thursday.

The sixth-seeded NMHU Cowboys are now 25-25 and will play the first game tomorrow.

UNK, now winners of nine straight RMAC tourney games played at Suplizio Field, managed to come out on top despite leaving a season-high 16 runners on base.

The total could've been higher but senior 3b Luke Valerius (3 for 4) managed a two out, two-run single with bases loaded to break a three all tie in the eighth. Nine hole hitter Brandon Buchanan (2 for 4) followed with a sac fly, the Lopers 36th sac fly of the year, to finish the scoring.

In the ninth, Kresse (Bennington H.S.) struck out the side to record his ninth save of the spring. Current senior Ricky Muir (Easton, Conn.) saved nine games last season.

Facing the Preseason Pitcher of the Year in Trent Evins, UNK had several chances to bust things open but couldn't get that big hit. The Lopers left the bases full in the first and stranded two in the second, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Kearney did manage to tie things at two by crossing home plate twice in the fifth. Senior center fielder Jason Trulin (1 for 3, two RBI's) had a run scoring single and then fellow Blair native Daren Grace hit a sac fly to score the second run.

On the mound, Arizona senior Roy Metter threw a strong 7.2 innings. Blanking Highlands for the first three innings, he fanned four, walked just one and gave up nine hits.

The Cowboys, which stranded seven, tied things at three in the top of the eighth when A.J. Alexander (0 for 2, two RBI's) hit a sac fly to left. A batter before, first baseman Eric Maupin (3 for 4, two runs) hit a triple that banged off the center field wall and rolled towards the infield.

Junior southpaw Mike Loseke (Arvada, Colo.), now 7-1 on the year, kept it a one-run game by getting JP Hollywood to pop up to short to end the inning.

Finally, senior 1b Andrew Haake (Beatrice) went 4 for 5 and recorded his 200th career hit with a single in the fifth. He is just the 10th Loper to reach that figure, now ranking ninth with 202 hits.