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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

2022 Loper Seniors
UNK Athletics
10
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 39-6, 18-1 MIAA
4
Nebraska-Kearney UNK 22-21, 12-9 MIAA
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
39-6, 18-1 MIAA
10
Final
4
Nebraska-Kearney UNK
22-21, 12-9 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 0 5 3 1 1 10 10 1
Nebraska-Kearney UNK 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 4 11 2

W: Lynch,Kylee (20-1) L: Rosenthal, Madison (5-9)

0
Central Oklahoma UCO 39-7, 18-2 MIAA
3
Winner Nebraska-Kearney UNK 23-21, 13-9 MIAA
Central Oklahoma UCO
39-7, 18-2 MIAA
0
Final
3
Nebraska-Kearney UNK
23-21, 13-9 MIAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Central Oklahoma UCO 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Nebraska-Kearney UNK 3 0 0 0 0 0 X 3 4 1

W: Thomason, Sydney (2-3) L: Cox,Isie (9-4)

Game Recap: Softball |

Lopers Battle the Winds, Upset No. 4 UCO in Home Finale

Kearney, Neb. – Freshman Sydney Thomason threw a complete game four-hit shutout and sophomore left fielder Abbie Jo Gaube went 2 for 3 with two RBI's to help Nebraska-Kearney stun fourth-ranked Central Oklahoma, 3-0, in the second game of a double header Friday afternoon at Patriot Park.

These games were moved up two hours to 12 and 2 p.m. starts due to weather. At always-windy Patriot, the winds howled all day from right to left field with gusts well over 40 miles per hour.

"Man it feels good. We putting ourselves in a really good situation for what's to come. Our girls are feeling confident right now," said UNK skipper Katie Ackermann.

The Lopers (23-21, 13-9) and Bronchos (39-7, 18-2) were scoreless for three innings in game one before UCO erupted for a five spot in the top of the fourth. Behind star pitcher Kylee Lynch (20-1), the 'Chos recorded a 10-4 win. 
Sydney Thomason
Sydney Thomason


With most of the MIAA playing double headers over the next few days, UNK is in sole possession of sixth place in the standings. The top eight teams make the league tourney May 4-7 in Edmond; the Lopers finish the regular season next weekend in Oklahoma. UNK hasn't made the MIAA Tourney since joining the league prior to the 2013 season. 

Last May, UNK upset UCO by a 5-3 score in Edmond. The Blue & Gold actually out hit the 'Chos, 11-10, in today's first game and gave up just four earned runs.

"Last year we only lost to them by three in the first game and then we came back and won in eight innings. We sent a message last year and you could tell they knew we were going to come out just fighting and we did," said Ackerman.

Thomason (Ripon, Calif.) was making her eighth start of the year and she flummoxed the potent UCO offense (7.2 runs per game) by fanning four and walking none. She needed just 97 pitchers to get threw seven innings with her defense making several big plays along the way. That included key outs by third baseman Avery Wood (Kearney H.S.) and senior second baseman Abbie Vodicka (Lincoln Pius X).

"Syd's stuff is a bit down and slow and it really worked. Offensively we put pressure on them early on and that made them press a little bit," said Ackermann.

UNK did all its' damage in the first inning as it used a walk, double, single, hit batter and a key two-run single by Gaube (Omaha Gross Catholic) to move ahead 3-0. That also ran lefty Isie Cox (9-4) from the game; she didn't retire a Loper but Bailey McKittrick came in and retired 17 in a row. That impressive outing included eight K's.

"We preached all day to play for the four seniors. They've invested so much into our program and they've worked their tails off to get us to this point. So, we put our focus and our why on those guys today," said Ackermann.

UCO's nine-hole hitter and first baseman Mikayla Rutland went 2 for 2 after going 2 for 4 with a run and three RBI's in the first game. Her two-run shot with two down in the top of the fourth made things 5-0.

"That first game you take away one inning where we could've made a couple of plays to get out of it … that could've been a really good ball game for us," Ackermann. "We put ourselves in a situation where we could've been really successful on the day. But we came back and we knew we could fight with them and our girls were ready to go."

The faithful fourth featured an infield error and then a two-out, three-run triple that just sailed over the glove of senior right fielder Carlee Liesch (Lincoln Pius X). UCO then added three more in the fifth with the Lopers score three times in the sixth.

Vodicka (3 for 3, one run & two RBI's), Liesch (2 for 4, two RBI's) and senior center fielder Bri Healy (2 for 4, one run) paced the offense with Colorado sophomore lefty Madison Rosenthal allowing no earned runs in 3.2 innings. She also fanned four 'Chos and walked just one.

In between games, Healy, Liesch, Vodicka and outfielder Lauren Struebing were honored in "Senior Day" activities. They've helped the program win 73 games the past four years while being named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll multiple times. 

 
 
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