Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Tyler Sanders picked up his fourth save and center fielder Ryan Degner hit a three-run homer to lift Missouri Western State to a 6-3 win over Nebraska-Kearney Friday at Memorial Field.

This was the first of a four-game series. The Griffons are now 14-12 (10-9) while the Lopers fall to 17-11 (11-10).

Lincoln senior Adam Peters (3-3) struck out the side in the second but Western erupted for five in the top of the third. The big inning included two infield singles and the homer by Degner (2 for 4) that just cleared the fence in left center.

The Griffs added an unearned run in the fourth before freshman shortstop Josh Kiger (Papillion-LaVista South H.S.) hit a three-run shot, his third of the year, in bottom of the inning to cut the deficit in half. Kiger's homer was hit about the same spot as Degner's and also just cleared the wall.

Western starter Grant Woods (2-2) left after 5.1 innings and then Sanders took over. In 3.2 scoreless innings, he fanned two, didn't walk a batter and got out of jams in sixth and eighth innings.

UNK senior righty Alex Sosa (Miami, Fla.) was also very strong in relief, allowing no earned runs in 6.1 innings. He struck out three and walked just two in his longest outing of 2014.  
Sosa now has a 1.29 ERA covering 14.0 innings.

At the plate, junior Max Ayoub (Grand Island) and sophomore Anthony Pacheco (Kearney Catholic H.S.) both had two hits.

A double heard between the two starts Saturday at 1:00 p.m.