Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Kearney, Neb. – The Fort Hays State softball team took advantage of seven errors to sweep a double header from Nebraska-Kearney, 6-2 and 7-4, Tuesday afternoon at Dryden Park.

Earlier this year in Kansas, the MIAA Tigers (23-15) beat the Lopers in two games, 4-0 and 6-5. With today's setbacks, UNK (19-19) sees an eight-game win streak come to an end.

In game one, Tiger junior right hander Maddie Holub (13-8) no-hit the Lopers for the first four innings. However, McCook senior Kirstie Hiatt (11-9) kept pace, blanking Hays for the first four innings as well.

For the season, FHSU's best offensive inning is the fifth and nothing changed today as they scored six runs on three Loper errors, three hits and two walks. The big blow was a two-run double to left center by catcher Callen Wright.  

All six runs in the Hays fifth were unearned. In the two games, 11 of the Tigers 13 runs were unearned.

Sophomore DP/P Bailey Backhuus (Bennington) and senior RF Allie Frost (Valley) had RBI singles in the fifth but the Lopers mustered just four hits, while fanning 10 times, against Holub.

In three appearances against UNK this year, Holub went 2-0 with a 0.93 ERA, 28 K's, five walks and a save.

Hiatt was the tough luck loser despite fanning five and allowing no earned runs in 4.2 innings. Backhuus then came in and shut out Hays for 2.1 innings.

Of note, Hiatt became only the sixth Loper to reach 300 career K's (now 302) when she fanned Amanda Vaupel to start the second. She has reached that total in exactly 500 innings, the fifth most innings by a pitcher in UNK history.  

In game two, Hays scored four times in its half of the first on two hits and three more Loper errors. After the Lopers scored three unanswered, the Tigers tallied three in the fifth on three hits and UNK's fourth miscue of the game.

Backhuus (0-1) pitched well in her first start of 2012, allowing two earned in 4.1 innings. True freshman Taryn Trosper (Grand Island) came in and threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.

At the plate, Frost went 2 for 3 with two runs, two RBI's and her sixth homer of the year from the nine hole.

UNK travels to Colorado Mesa this weekend for four RMAC games.