Box Score Kearney, Neb. - Nebraska Kearney got home runs from Dillon Schroeder and Anthony Pacheco, and a strong relief outing from senior southpaw Aaron Smith, to beat Central Oklahoma, 5-4, Thursday afternoon in Edmond, Okla.
 
This was the first of a four-game MIAA series. UNK moves over the .500 mark at 6-5 while the Bronchos drop to 1-5.
 
On a day when the two teams combined for four home runs among 13 hits, it was the Lopers two dingers that provided some more pop.
 
Trailing 4-3 in the top of the sixth, UNK saw Schroeder (Kearney Catholic H.S.) hit his first homer of the year on a 2-2 pitch to provide the winning margin. Junior right fielder Kyle Honeycutt (Millard South H.S.) was hit by a pitch with one out to also score on the play.
 
Smith (Cheyenne, Wyo.) already had come on in relief of senior starter Dalton Cowen (4.1 IP, four hits, four earned runs, six K's) in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Over 4.2 innings, he fanned four, walked two, gave up two hits and allowed no runs. Smith got out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh by getting a strike out and an infield pop up. He earned his second win of 2015 by retiring UCO in order in the eighth and ninth innings.
 
Schroeder went 2 for 3 with two runs and those two RBI's to pace the Kearney offense. Junior left fielder Anthony Pacheco (Kearney Catholic H.S.) had a sac fly in the first and a solo homer in the fourth to also drive in two.
 
UCO got a three-run shot from leadoff hitter Josh Ingram in the third and solo homer off the bat of nine hole hitter Tyler Hatcher in the fifth to score its runs. The Broncho pen also got 3.2 scoreless innings from junior Jared Fowler.
 
The two teams play a double header Friday afternoon