Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Kearney, Neb. – Junior  third baseman Halle Gydesen belted a Grand Slam and freshman Sara Sempek threw 4.1 innings of hitless ball to help Nebraska-Kearney beat St. Cloud State, 8-3, Friday morning in St. Joseph, Mo.

This game was part of the three-day Hy-Vee Classic. UNK fell to Minnesota-Duluth, 6-2, in the afternoon.

Facing the Huskies (16-5) for the third time this year proved to be the charm for the Lopers (2-21). UNK scored three runs in the top of the third to erase a 1-0 deficit and then erupted for a five-spot in the fifth.

Gydesen (3 for 4, two runs) led off the third with a double and eventually scored thanks to a single by senior first baseman Molly Stern (Peoria, Ariz.). Stern came home thanks to an RBI ground out from freshman catcher Alexis Howe (Papillion-LaVista). Finally, a SCSU error allowed Howe to score.

The Loper fifth featured two walks and four hits, none bigger than Gydesen's bases clearing homer to left. The shot from the Lexington native came with two outs and on a 0-2 count.

The Huskies got to Sempek (Papillion-LaVista) a bit in the fifth as they used two hits and three walks to erase the no-hitter and get two runs on the board. However, Sempek got a fly ball to  left to get out of a bases loaded jam.

She earned her second collegiate win by allowing only two hits the rest of the way. Overall, Sempek (2-4) fanned three, walked five and surrendered four hits in throwing just 64 pitches.

Besides Gydesen, four others finished with two hits including Arizona freshman center fielder Nicole Spykstra and Sempek.

In the night cap, UMD (13-7) scored three in the second and two in the fourth to hold off the Lopers. Valerie Hohol improved to 3-0 by allowing no earned runs over the last 5.1 innings. 

Junior out fielder Kalea Samek (Lincoln Pius X) had a two-run single in the second to give UNK a brief 2-0 lead. First baseman Kalynn Tilton (2 for 3) belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning to give the Bulldogs the lead for good. 

Colorado junior Meg Housholder threw the final 2.0 innings for UNK and didn't allow a run. She fanned one and allowed just one hit. 

UNK faces Minnesota State (12:00 p.m.) and Mary (2:00 p.m.) on Saturday.