Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Kearney, Neb. – Senior second baseman Coby Roming hit a walk-off Grand Slam and senior lefty Aaron Smith tossed a complete game five-hitter to help Nebraska-Kearney sweep Emporia State, 7-5 (8 innings) and 12-1, Friday afternoon at Memorial Field.
 
With the wins, UNK is now 23-11 (17-6) while the Hornets, ranked 24th in one of D2's three national polls, falls to 21-9 (13-9).
 
"We're excited about what happened today and will enjoy these wins for about an hour," said UNK head coach Damon Day. "We need to come back strong tomorrow and try and win the series."
 
The Lopers didn't lead game one until Roming's heroics in the bottom of the eighth inning. Kearney trailed by scores of 2-1, 3-1, 3-2 and 5-3 before loading the bases in the extra inning.
 
Hornet closer Shawn Talkington got out of a jam in the sixth and set down three straight in the seventh but hit two Lopers and walked another in the eighth.
 
From the nine hole, Roming (2 for 4) promptly hit a pitch to left center that cleared the fence for his second dinger of the season. Earlier this year in Texas, junior 1b/DH Kyle Honeycutt hit a walk-off Grand Slam in a win over Southern Arkansas.
 
In the UNK sixth, eight hole hitter Brent Kirsch (3 for 3, two runs) tied the game at three with a solo homer, his fifth of the year, to right. Five innings earlier, the Lopers first two batters reached with senior CF Brandon Landanger (Kearney H.S.) delivering an RBI single. 
 
Freshman Mitchell Robinson (Golden, Colo.) overcame some early jitters to shut out ESU for five straight innings. Receiving a no decision, he allowed three earned on seven hits and two walks while fanning one.
 
Finally, junior closer Joe Smidt (North Platte) threw the final two innings to earn his second win of 2015. While he gave up two in the eighth, he also got back-to-back fielder's choices to get out of a bases loaded situation.
 
In the nightcap, UNK rolled from the get go, tallying three in the first, two in the second and six more over the fifth and sixth innings.
 
The top hitting squad in the MIAA coming into the weekend (.345), E-State was flummoxed by Smith, who is now 12-1 in his Loper career. Throwing just under 100 pitches, he struck out seven and walked none in blanking the Hornets in six innings.
 
"Aaron is a senior and this year means a tremendous amount to him and our other seniors," said Day. "He threw up zero after zero and stayed composed when he got into a bit of trouble. Considering that's the best hitting team in the league right now, that's one of the best pitching performances I've seen."
 
Five Lopers had a multi-RBI game, led by Roming (2 for 3, three runs & three RBI's) and junior 1b Connor Messinger (2 for 4, two runs & two RBI's).
 
The series finishes up tomorrow with a nine-inning game at noon.