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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Rylyn Nelson
Todd Gottula
5
Winner Missouri Western MWSU 13-7, 2-1 MIAA
2
Nebraska Kearney UNKSOFT 9-10, 1-2 MIAA
Winner
Missouri Western MWSU
13-7, 2-1 MIAA
5
Final
2
Nebraska Kearney UNKSOFT
9-10, 1-2 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Missouri Western MWSU 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 5 7 1
Nebraska Kearney UNKSOFT 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 5 2

W: Rader, Sydney (9-3) L: Ulven, Kalli (1-5)

2
Winner Missouri Western MWSU 14-7, 3-1 MIAA
1
Nebraska Kearney UNKSOFT 9-11, 1-3 MIAA
Winner
Missouri Western MWSU
14-7, 3-1 MIAA
2
Final
1
Nebraska Kearney UNKSOFT
9-11, 1-3 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Missouri Western MWSU 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 7 1
Nebraska Kearney UNKSOFT 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 2

W: Finarty, Ashlyn (3-0) L: Schindler, Jerzie (5-3)

Game Recap: Softball |

Griffs Rally Twice to Nip the Lopers at Dryden

Kearney, Neb. – The Missouri Western State Griffons rallied for a pair of wins over Nebraska Kearney, 5-2 and 2-1 in 8 innings, Monday afternoon at Dryden Park.

The Griffs (14-7, 3-1) were originally set to come to Kearney on March 22nd but flipped dates with Northwest Missouri State. Due to weather and field conditions, both MIAA double headers this weekend were pushed back two days.

"A lot of coaches would be frustrated in this situation but if you take a look, our offense in the last two weeks, our pitchers from yesterday to today … we got better against a really good team," said Loper head coach Katie Ackermann. "We had nine hits on the day, but we attacked, changed our approaches and got a lot of barrel on ball."  

UNK (9-11, 1-3) got a mammoth home run to left center from senior second baseman Rylyn Nelson (Sterling, Colo.) to grab a 1-0 lead in the second inning of game two. Freshman lefty Jerzie Schindler (Central City) was keeping Mo West at bay, but they finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth thanks to a one-out double and pinch-hit single.

The Lopers were poised for a walk off win as Nelson drew a walk on a full count to start the seventh. Senior pinch hitter Madisyn Simms (Canada) followed with a perfect bunt in front of the plate that led to an error and Nelson advancing to third. However, Mo West sophomore Ashlyn Finarty got a short pop up to right, grounder to third and grounder to second to get out of the jam.

With one down in the eighth, leadoff hitter and shortstop Kalee Higdon reached via infield error and then stole her 22nd base. She came home thanks to a two-out single by DP Sydney Young. The Griffs then turned a 1-6-3 double play in the bottom of the inning to quash a potential Loper rally.

"We had the chance (in the seventh) and had the second game in our hands. Runner at three with no outs; odds in our favor," said Ackermann. "We have to get better at handling big moments."

Schindler (5-3) threw 128 pitches and allowed one earned on seven hits and no walks with two K's. Finally, Finarty (3-0) needed just 82 pitches in throwing a four-hitter.

In game one, the Griffs used an error, three hits and a double steal to score three times in the fifth to erase a 1-0 deficit. They then added two insurance runs in the seventh with veteran Sydney Rader (9-3) throwing a five-hitter.

Senior center fielder Eden McNally (Castle Rock, Colo.) paced UNK with two infield singles and two diving catches with freshman right fielder Bailey Peterson (Oakdale, Calif.) having her first collegiate hit be an RBI single. Finally, the Griffs turned two double plays with freshman Kalli Ulven (Blair) allowing just one earned run over 6.1 innings.

"I have them a lot of grace fielding ground balls because we're the most Northern team in the MIAA and we field on a gymnasium floor," said Ackermann. "They are bound to be mistakes but we'll clean them up as the season goes on. We pride ourselves on defense and our outfielders are saving a lot of runs with their plays."

UNK hosts Chadron State (8-12) Wednesday at Dryden with the games set to begin at 1 p.m.
 
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