Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Kearney Neb. – True freshman Sara Sempek threw five shutout innings and went 2 for 2 with three RBI's at the plate to help Nebraska-Kearney hold off Emporia State, 4-2, in the second game of a double header Saturday afternoon in Kansas.

The Hornets (25-19, 10-6) took game one, 6-2.

Sempek (Papillion-LaVista H.S.) earned her fourth win of the spring by allowing just six singles. Over 69 pitches, she didn't walk, strikeout or hit a Hornet.

UNK gave her all the support she needed by scoring once in the second and fifth innings and adding two key insurance runs in the sixth. Emporia, on "Senior Day", tried to rally as they loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth against Utah junior Abbey Martin.

Throwing the final two innings, Martin coaxed pinch hitter Hailey Cope to hit a liner to third baseman Halle Gydesen (Lexington). She promptly recorded the double play for a big momentum change. Martin then got out of the inning with a fly out to center.

ESU did rally with two down in the seventh, using two hit batters and double to make things interesting once again. However, Martin got five-hole hitter Katie Yoakum to pop up to short to end the game.

Offensively, Sempek hit a sac fly in the second and a two-run double to left center in the sixth. Leadoff hitter Kaela Samek (2 for 4, one RBI) and Papillion freshman catcher Alexis Howe (2 for 3, one run) joined Sempek as Lopers with multi-hit efforts.

In game one, senior Eryn Stockman (18-9) threw a complete game eight-hitter. Throwing 91 pitches, she allowed one earned and fanned four. Emporia scored half its runs in the second by having four of its 10 hits. Overall, three-hole hitter Sarah Glass went 3 for 4 with two RBI's.

Leaving nine runners on base, UNK saw Howe (2 for 4) and Sempek (2 for 3) pace the offense. Finally, Missouri freshman Mallory Stoner tossed a scoreless sixth inning.

Weather permitting, UNK hosts Central Oklahoma on Monday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.