Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Junior right hander Zach Girrens allowed one earned run over six innings and senior third baseman Travis Stroup hit two home runs to help second-ranked Central Missouri defeat Nebraska-Kearney, 12-2, Friday afternoon at Memorial Field.

This was the first of a three-game series.

UCM (16-4, 8-2) had two three-run innings and then scored a combined four runs between the seventh and ninth innings. Stroup (4 for 5, three runs & four RBI's), batting cleanup, had a two-run shot in the sixth and a solo dinger in the eighth.

Three other Mules had multi-hit efforts including five-hole hitter Collin Nevil (3 for 5). The junior first baseman hit a two out, two-run homer to right in the first to put UCM up for good.

UNK (7-13, 0-7) countered with a two spot in the second that featured an RBI single off the bat of junior third baseman Brent Kirsch (Papillion). However, Girrens (3-0), a St. Louis U. transfer, used an inning-ending strikeout to prevent more damage.

The Lopers, with six different players registering a hit, left the bases loaded in the eighth. Senior reliever JJ Benes got out of the jam thanks to another inning-ending strikeout.

Overall, junior right hander Clay Collison (Algona, Ia.) led UNK by throwing 2.0 innings of scoreless relief. He finished with three K's, no walks and gave up just one hit.

The series resumes Saturday at 2:00 p.m