Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Junior right hander Chris Sievers struck out 11 in throwing a three-hit complete game shutout as Nebraska Kearney blanked Fort Hays State, 10-0, Sunday afternoon at a windy Memorial Field.

Due to the MIAA 10-run rule, the game ended in the bottom of the eighth when UNK scored five times. The win allowed the Lopers (11-7, 6-2) to take three of four from the Tigers (3-7, 3-5).

A transfer from Northeastern (Colo.) J.C., Sievers earned his first win as a Loper by no hitting Hays for the first three innings and by getting out of a jam in the eighth.

The Loveland, Colo., native threw 104 pitches and struck out two Tigers in five different innings. He walked just one and held the Tigers scoreless thanks to a rare 5-3-1 ground ball double play in the eighth that ended with him tagging out a runner at third.

"What a job by Chris. They kept coming at us all weekend offensively and for him to throw up eight straight zeroes is quite an accomplishment. I thought he and (catcher) Max did a phenomenal job working together," said Loper skipper Damon Day.

Offensively, UNK scored three times in its half of the first thanks to two walks and two hit batters. Running Hays starter Brad Spires (0-2) after only three batters, the Lopers did strand nine over the first seven innings as Tiger reliever Gabe Cook allowed no earned runs over 6.0 full innings.

Using five different pitchers, the Tigers couldn't keep the Lopers at bay forever as Kearney scored five times in the eighth thanks to four hits, a walk and another hit batter.

"Anytime you can win an MIAA series outright it's a good weekend. We had a heartbreaker on Friday night but I think that kind of got us going for Saturday," said Day. "It's taken a bit for our offense to get back in a groove and hopefully this weekend will propel us."

Grand Island senior catcher Max Ayoub (2 for 4, three RBI's) and junior 1b Connor Messinger (1 for 4, three RBI's) both had two RBI's in the big inning with senior 3b Danny Droll going 2 for 4 with three runs.

UNK is scheduled to play at NW Missouri State next weekend.