Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Senior center fielder Ryan Denger came up with another big hit and four Missouri Western State pitchers threw well as the Griffons beat Nebraska-Kearney, 6-2, Sunday afternoon in St. Joseph.
 
MWSU (23-17, 16-12) took the final three games of the series against the Lopers (24-15, 18-10).
 
UNK belted five home runs in winning Friday night's series opener 11-4. However, over the last three games, Mo Western limited Kearney to a .278 team batting average and eight total runs.
 
Today, Griffon starter junior Weston Caindec (3-0) allowed one earned run on five hits and no walks over five full innings with senior Josh Lansangan following with two scoreless innings.
 
UNK did make things interesting against another righty, junior David Anderson. Junior left fielder Anthony Pacheco (Kearney Catholic H.S.) had an RBI single in the eighth and then the Lopers loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth. A walk and single forced Anderson from the game and brought in closer Richard Peoples.
 
While he walked a batter to load the bases, the sophomore also got a strikeout to pick up his fourth save.
 
In the Griffon seventh, Denger hit a three-run homer to make it 6-1. MWSU's leadoff hitter, Denger had a three-run homer and a walk-off single in Saturday's double header. Western erased a 1-0 deficit by scoring three unearned runs in the fourth with designated hitter Zach Taylor delivering a two out, two-run single to right.
 
For UNK, senior center fielder Brandon Landanger (Kearney H.S.) went 3 for 5 and hit a solo homer with senior DH Dillon Schroeder (Kearney Catholic H.S.) and junior 1b Connor Messinger (Niwot, Colo.) both going 2 for 4.
 
On the mound, senior lefty Aaron Smith (Cheyenne, Wyo.) went seven innings, allowing three earned on nine hits and a walk. This marks just his second career loss in 33 appearances (12-2).
 
UNK hosts Wayne State Wednesday night and then Lindenwood next weekend.