Box Score Kearney, Neb. – True freshmen Josh Kiger, Brent Kirsch and Dallas Schramm were a combined 6 for 11 with five RBI's to help Nebraska-Kearney defeat Washburn, 9-6, in the series opener Thursday night at Memorial Field.
 
Due to weather, this series was moved up a day. UNK (22-14, 16-13) and the Ichabods (17-16, 16-13) are now tied for sixth place in the league standings.
 
A wild first inning featured five runs as the 'Bods got a two-run homer from catcher David Ganutt to grab a 3-0 lead with UNK scoring twice on a hit, walk, error, wild pitch and balk.
 
Sophomore right fielder Anthony Pacheco (Kearney Catholic H.S.) gave Kearney its first lead of the night when he hit a two-run dinger, his third of the year, to center in the third. Next, Kirsch (3 for 4, two RBI's) had an RBI double in the fourth with Kiger (1 for 3, one run) having a run scoring single in the fifth to make it a 6-4 game.
 
Washburn inched closer after a double and RBI single in the sixth and then nine-hole hitter Connor Crimmins (2 for 4) tied things up with a homer in the seventh.
 
Schramm (2 for 4, two RBI's) promptly untied things with a one out, two-run double in the bottom of the inning that brought home Kiger (Papillion-LaVista South H.S.) and Grand Island junior Max Ayoub (2 for 3, two runs). Pinch runner Drew Butler (Kearney) then scored on a double by Kirsch (Papillion-LaVista South H.S.).

Junior lefty Aaron Smith (Gillette, Wyo.) threw two scoreless innings to earn his fourth win with North Platte sophomore Joe Smidt tossing a scoreless ninth to save his sixth contest. Finally, senior starter Alex Sosa fanned five and gave up just four earned in six full innings.
 
The two teams play a double header tomorrow starting at 3:00 p.m.