Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney softball team fell to fifth-ranked Humboldt (Calif.) State, 12-4, and 32nd-ranked Texas Woman's University, 11-3 (5 innings), late Saturday night in Las Vegas.
This was the second day of the ninth annual
Desert Stinger Classic, hosted by Montana State-Billings. UNK is now 1-3 on the young season.
The game against the HSU Lumberjacks (1-3) was the first time the two schools met on the softball diamond since the 1999 NCAA Division II National Championship game. The Jacks won that contest, 7-2, and came out on top this year thanks to 10 hits and four Loper errors.
UNK managed nine hits, including three doubles, but left eight runners stranded. Humboldt took control of things with a five-run fourth that featured a leadoff homer from senior first baseman Lona Dengler and a two-run double by nine-hole hitter Hannah Holland (2 for 4, four RBI's).
The Lopers countered with three runs in the bottom of the inning but were blanked from the fifth through seventh innings. True freshman reliever Rachel Bennett earned the win by allowing just one hit and two walks in 3.2 innings.
For Kearney, junior first baseman
Cheyenne Hamilton (Frederick, Colo.), sophomore shortstop
Kaitlyn Johnson (Kearney H.S.) and freshman second baseman
Kaylee Schutte (Elkhorn South) each collected two hits. In the circle, three Lopers fanned five and gave up five earned.
At night, the TWU Pioneers (3-1) tallied 11 runs on just eight hits. Taking advantage of six Loper errors, they also drew two walks and had two hit batters.
UNK tried to rally from a 7-0 hole by scoring three times in the top of the fourth. A four-hit set included an RBI double by sophomore outfielder
Alexis Ray (Platte City, Mo.) and an RBI double by Johnson. Ray paced the offense by finishing 2 for 3 from the two hole.
Senior
Abbey Martin (Pleasant Grove, Utah) threw the final 2.1 innings and allowed just one earned run on two hits and a walk. TWU was led by cleanup hitter Hazel Puempel (2 for 3, two runs and two RBI's) and eight-hole hitter Avery Williams (2 for 3, two runs and one RBI).
On Sunday, UNK battles Cal State San Bernardino (4-0) at 4 p.m. Central.
