Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Sophomore
Ethan Poulsen threw four shutout innings and junior
Alex Miller picked up a save as Nebraska-Kearney hung on to beat Metro State, 9-7, Sunday afternoon at Memorial Field.
The Lopers (13-23, 12-16 RMAC) took three of the four games this weekend from the Roadrunners (11-13, 8-20 RMAC) to enhance its changes of making the six-team RMAC Tournament in May.
Leading from start to finish, the Lopers seemingly salted the game away thanks to four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to make the score 9-3.
However, the 'Runners not only scored four runs in the top of the ninth but had the bases loaded as well. In just his fourth appearance of the year, Miller (Millard West) got first baseman Darryl Bacca (3 for 5) to fly out to center to end the threat and game.
Bacca, who belted his team-leading ninth homer of the year in a three-run fifth, hit a ball that might've gone to the wall had it not been for a stiff wind blowing to right center.
Winning for the first time this year, Poulsen (Longmont, Colo.) faced the minimum through the first four innings before allowing three runs on four hits in the fifth.
UNK grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first thanks to a three-run homer to left off the bat of junior left fielder
Tommy Barnes (Perry Hall, Md.). The Lopers then responded to Metro's three-run fifth by scoring twice in the bottom of the inning.Among the four hits was an RBI single by junior right fielder
Brian Wuest (1 for 1, three walks).
In the Kearney eighth, redshirt freshman shortstop
Dillon Schroeder (2 for 4) hit a two out, two run single to right.
Poulsen struck out three and walked one while allowing three earned in 6.2 innings. Besides Schroeder, junior 2b
Brandon Pacheco (Kearney Catholic) and redshirt freshman center fielder
Reid Carter (Castle Rock, Colo.) also had two hits in the game.
UNK has its final home games of the year this coming Friday and Saturday when Colorado Christian comes to town. Prior to that, the Lopers face Fort Hays State Tuesday night in Kansas.
