Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney softball team was eliminated from the 2012 RMAC Tournament with a 5-0 loss to Colorado Christian Friday afternoon in Denver.

After falling to Colorado Mesa, 4-1, Friday morning, the Lopers (26-24) stayed alive by beating Metro State, 8-3, in an elimination game.

UNK was ranked eighth in the last NCAA regional rankings; the field for the 64-NCAA Tournament will be announced Monday morning. The RMAC Tournament receives an automatic bid to the Central Regional with the RMAC likely to get only one at-large spot.

The other league team in the region poll was CSU-Pueblo (5th), who went 0-2 in the tourney.

Against Metro, UNK scored runs in six innings, including a four-run third. Finishing with 12 hits, senior 2b Ali Seberger (Lexington ) went 2 for 4 with two RBI's and sophomore 3b Sarah Rome (Ft. Calhoun) belted her ninth homer of the year, a two-run shot.  

The Roadrunners (26-27) had 10 hits but left 10 runners on base. McCook senior Kirstie Hiatt went the distance, improving to 15-10 by fanning two and working around four walks.

After beating the third-seeded Cougars (30-26) on Thursday, the Lopers saw the first-year program win a third straight elimination game as Mariah Bledsoe (9-8) tossed a three-hit complete game shut out.

This marked only the fourth time all season UNK was held scoreless.

Papillion junior Becky Dunn (10-10) took the loss but three of the four runs she gave up were unearned as the Lopers made two errors, both in a three-run Christian third.

Finally, Mesa's Ashley Pulido tossed a complete game six-hitter to lead the Mavericks in a winner's bracket game this morning.

The eighth-seeded Mavericks are playing for more than just a tournament title as long time head coach Kris Mort is retiring after this season.

After upsetting top-seed Colorado School of Mines yesterday, CMU saw Pulido shut out the Lopers over the final six innings. Improving to 10-9, she fanned three and walked none.

Senior CF Austin Wilson (McCook) led off the Loper first with a single to left and eventually reached third on a sac bunt and an infield single. She then crossed home plate on wild pitch.

Mesa scored all of its runs in the fourth thanks to four hits, a walk, wild pitch and a stolen base. Center fielder Danielle Vallie had a two-run single in the inning that scored right fielder Lita Romero (3 for 3).

On the mound for the Lopers, Bennington sophomore Bailey Backhuus struck out two in 3.1 innings of scoreless relief with Rome going 2 for 3.