Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Kearney, Neb. – Senior first baseman Kate Ruwe went 2 for 4 with four RBI's to help Nebraska-Kearney beat Southwest Minnesota State, 7-5, Thursday morning at the Kelly Laas Memorial Invite in St. Cloud, Minn.
 
Later in the day, the Lopers (5-7) fell to Minnesota State, 6-1, and tournament host St. Cloud State, 7-4.
 
Against the Mustangs (1-1), UNK scored four in its half of the second to take control. Among the six hits in the big inning was a three-run double from Ruwe (Blair). She then led off the sixth with her third dinger of the young season.
 
Colorado sophomore Meg Housholder improved to 3-2 by tossing an 11-hit complete game. Fanning two and walking two, she allowed five earned runs but blanked SMSU for three straight innings.
 
Also in victory, Elmwood senior designated player/catcher Erin Dwyer went 4 for 4 from the cleanup spot with leadoff hitter Rebecca Wyatt (Glendale, Ariz.) 3 for 4 with a run scored.
 
Mankato (3-2) managed to beat UNK thanks to a four-hit complete game from sophomore Libby Bemis. She struck out six and blanked the Lopers over the final three innings.
 
The Mavericks scored single runs in the first and second innings before scoring two in both the fifth and sixth. Four of the runs were unearend as UNK made two key errors. Individually, cleanup hitter Samantha Buhmann went 2 for 2 with two RBI's while Ruwe led UNK with another solo homer.
 
St. Cloud improved to 7-2 as they took advantage of some Kearney miscues to score five unearned runs over the final three innings.
 
With two outs in the fifth and trailing 3-2, the Huskies drew a walk to load the bases. A passed ball followed to score the tying run and then a throwing error scored two more on the same play.
 
Senior third baseman Makenzi Dallas (Phoenix, Ariz.) had an RBI single in the top of the seventh but two Lopers were left on base as relief pitcher Megan Hedstrom (4-1) got a ground out to end the game.
 
Offensively, SCSU's leadoff and nine hole hitters each collected two hits with Dwyer going 3 for 3 with three RBI's. California senior Nicole Larsen was the tough luck loser, throwing the complete game.
 
Early Friday morning, the Lopers face Augustana and Concordia-St. Paul.