Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Emporia State first baseman and cleanup hitter Evan Koehler went 4 for 5 with five RBI's to power the Hornets over Nebraska-Kearney, 10-6, Thursday afternoon at Memorial Field.

This was the first of four games between the teams this weekend.

On a day with the wind blowing to right field, the clubs used the long ball to have things tied a four through four.

ESU (21-7, 13-7), ranked 24th in one of Division II's three national polls, got a solo shot by third baseman Dean Long (1 for 3, three runs) in the first and a two-run dinger off the bat of centerfielder Justin Harris (2 for 4, three runs & two RBI's) in the second.

The Lopers (21-11, 15-6) countered with a four spot in its half of the third, the big hit being a three-run homer to right by senior center fielder Brandon Landanger (Kearney H.S.). That was his fifth long ball of the season but UNK did leave two runners stranded. For the game, ESU left eight on and Kearney nine.

Koehler had an RBI double in the fifth to tie things up and then the Hornets tallied four runs in the seventh. A leadoff error was followed by a sac bunt and two hit batters. Koehler promptly untied the game with a two-run double to right center.

Two innings later, he hit a wind-aided homer down the right field line to finish the scoring.

Lefty Travis Hendry improved to 6-1 by allowing one earned in six full innings. He worked around 11 hits and a walk while fanning one Loper. Right hander Shawn Talkington threw the final 1.1 innings to record his fourth save of 2015.  

For UNK, senior 3b Danny Droll (Penrose, Colo.) went 3 for 5 with senior DH Dillon Schroeder (Kearney Catholic H.S.) going 2 for 4 with two RBI's.

A double header begins Friday at 1:00 p.m.