Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Kearney, Neb. – Dannebrog freshman Kaitlin Hehnke delivered the game tying hit in the bottom of the seventh that then got past a Fort Hays State outfielder to score the winning run as Nebraska-Kearney upset the 11th-ranked Tigers, 14-13, in the second game of a double header Wednesday afternoon at Dryden Park.
 
Senior Maddie Holub improved to 23-1 as she struck out 11, and went 4 for 4 at the plate, to help the Tigers (39-9, 19-5) win game one, 6-1.
 
The wild nightcap featured 27 runs on 30 hits, six walks, three errors and three hit batters. UNK (11-29, 6-18) had leads of 6-0, 7-3 and 10-6 but found themselves down 12-10 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
 
A leadoff single was followed by a comebacker that forced Hays pitcher Katlyn Kern (0-1) to pause. By the time she threw to first, UNK had runners at first and second with no out.
 
That mistake proved costly as junior Brittnie Kreiser (Council Bluffs, Ia.) followed with a double to left center to tie things up. In the first, Kreiser (2 for 3) hit a “Grand Slam” to right center to make it 6-0 and drive Hays starter Paxton Duran from the game.
 
In the Hays half of the seventh, speedy leadoff hitter Bianca Adame (2 for 5) reached via an infield single that took a very odd hop. She then stole second and scored the go ahead run on a single by second baseman Courtney Dobson.
 
Bennington junior Baily Backhuus (2-5) got out of any further damage when her defense turned a rare 9-6 double play to end the inning.
 
However, UNK was down to its final out as Kern retired the first two Lopers. Back-to-back singles kept Kearney's hopes alive and brought Hehnke (Grand Island H.S.) to the plate.
 
The lefty batter belted a sharp single to center that easily brought home freshman first baseman Katie Ruwe (3 for 4, two runs). However, it also allowed junior pinch hitter Jen Kramer (North Platte) to score all the way from first as a Tiger outfielder charged the ball and it ended up going to the fence.
Backhuus allowed six earned in 4.2 innings of relief work with Hehnke going 4 for 5 with three RBI's and junior shortstop Mallory Noakes (Lincoln) going 2 for 4 with three runs and two RBI's.
 
Noakes hit a key two out, two-run double to right in the third. That drove Holub from the game, who allowed four earned in 2.2 innings in relief of Duran.

Holub came in with a 0.65 ERA and this marked the second time she gave up a season-high four runs in an appearance. She was touched for that total over four innings at Colorado Christian on March 19th.  
 
In a losing effort, Tiger first baseman Tori Beltz went 3 for 4 with three runs and six RBI's thanks to two homers.
 
Holub tossed a complete game two hitter in the early contest. Going over 900 career strikeouts, she finished with 11 K's and just one walk.  

Ruwe provided UNK's offense with a single in the first and a solo homer to deep center in the third. That marked only the fourth dinger given up by Holub all season.
 
Grand Island sophomore Taryn Trosper (3-8) gave up four earned in 4.1 innings and saw Hays bust things open with three in the fourth and two more in the fifth. Backhuus did blank Hays over the final 2.2 innings.
 
UNK hosts Lincoln in a double header Saturday at one to finish 2013.