Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Kearney, Neb. – Senior southpaw Aaron Smith threw a complete game five-hitter and seniors Max Ayoub and Dillon Schroeder each drove in three runs as Nebraska-Kearney rolled past Lindenwood, 14-1 (7 innings), Sunday evening at Memorial Field.

UNK also won the completion of Saturday's second game, 6-5, by scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth inning.

To "run rule" (10 run lead after seven innings) a fourth opponent this season, the Lopers (27-16, 20-11) pounded out 15 hits and scored six times in the fourth inning.

Ayoub (3 for 3, thee runs) belted his team-leading 15th homer of the year in third to make it 4-0. The shot was to deep left and into the teeth of a strong wind. In the first, junior left fielder Anthony Pacheco (Kearney Catholic H.S.) hit a towering homer over the right field wall to start the scoring.

Lindenwood could've gotten out of the fourth with little damage but a dropped fly ball opened the flood gates. Four different Lopers had an RBI in the inning with junior 1b Connor Messinger (2 for 4, three RBI's) hitting a single and scoring on the same play. He took second on the throw home and then scored on a two-base throwing error.

On the other side of the coin, Smith (Cheyenne, Wyo.) cruised to his team-leading seventh win as he fanned seven and didn't walk in a batter in throwing 92 pitches. In five starts this year, he is now 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA and two complete games.

In the completion of the suspended contest, things started with UNK ahead 3-2 and batting in the bottom of the fourth. On Saturday before the rains came, the Lopers scored three unearned runs to erase a 2-0 hole.

Kearney used two more Lion errors to cross home plate once in the fourth but LWU (22-20, 12-13) came back to grab a 5-4 lead thanks to three hits, error and passed ball in the sixth.

UNK quickly responded with a walk, double and RBI single from Messinger (2 for 3) to start its half of the sixth. Messinger (Niwot, Colo.) moved to second on a sac bunt by senior 3b Danny Droll (Penrose, Colo.) and then scored the winning run on a single to left by sophomore right fielder Brent Kirsch (Papillion).

Things got a little scary in the top of the seventh as the Lions had two on with two outs against closer Joe Smidt (North Platte). Senior 3b Ryan Light, who had five RBI's in Saturday's first game, hit a towering fly ball down the left field line.  

The stiff winds kept the ball in the park with Pacheco racing over and catching the ball in front of the wall in foul territory to end the game.

The series concludes tomorrow with a single nine inning game at noon.