Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney softball team scored 11 runs in the fifth inning to beat Lindenwood, 12-2 (5 innings), Wednesday afternoon in St. Charles, Mo.
The Lions (10-16, 1-7) bounced back behind freshman lefty Stormee Galka to take the night cap, 5-0. That stopped a three-game win streak by the Lopers (6-27, 3-7 MIAA).
After sweeping the Lincoln Blue Tigers Tuesday night, UNK kept the momentum going as junior
Meg Housholder (Parker, Colo.) tossed a five-hit complete game in today's opener. Over 80 pitches she fanned two, walked just one and blanked LWU until the fifth.
UNK took a 1-0 lead in the top of fourth after freshman center fielder
Nicole Spykstra (Chandler Ariz.) doubled to center to bring home freshman catcher
Alexis Howe (Papillion-LaVista H.S.). Howe led off the inning and reached via error.
The floodgates more than opened in the fifth as four different Lopers batted twice in the inning. Overall, UNK had 11 of its 13 hits in the fifth while also drawing a walk, stealing three bases and taking advantage of two errors.
All nine starters recorded a hit with five registering at least two. That group included Spykstra, Howe and senior second baseman
Molly Stern (Peoria, Ariz.), who each went 2 for 4 with two RBI's.
From Kearny, Ariz., Golka improved to 6-7 by throwing a seven-hit complete game shutout in the late contest. The crafty lefty struck out nine and didn't walk or hit a Loper.
UNK was out hit by just an 8-7 margin but they left six runners on base. Lindenwood tallied an unearned run in the first and then scored four times in the sixth, the big blow being a three-run triple by center fielder Madi Huot.
Spykstra went 3 for 3 with three doubles, pushing her hit streak to seven straight. She is now leading the Lopers in batting average (.343), doubles (12), slugging (.460) and on-base (.360) percentages.
In the circle, Papillion freshman
Sara Sempek tossed her fifth complete game. She gave up four earned on eight hits (six singles) and a walk.
Weather and field conditions permitting, UNK will host Pittsburg State Friday and Missouri Southern State on Saturday.
