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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Mary Chvatal
Erika Pritchard, UNK Communications
2
Fort Hays St. FHSU 19-29, 5-18 MIAA
5
Winner Neb.-Kearney UNK 15-37, 4-19 MIAA
Fort Hays St. FHSU
19-29, 5-18 MIAA
2
Final
5
Neb.-Kearney UNK
15-37, 4-19 MIAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Fort Hays St. FHSU 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 10 0
Neb.-Kearney UNK 1 0 0 0 4 0 X 5 10 2

W: Fredrick, Zakayia (4-10) L: Solana Carpenter (9-13)

2
Fort Hays St. FHSU 19-30, 5-19 MIAA
4
Winner Neb.-Kearney UNK 16-37, 5-19 MIAA
Fort Hays St. FHSU
19-30, 5-19 MIAA
2
Final
4
Neb.-Kearney UNK
16-37, 5-19 MIAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Fort Hays St. FHSU 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 7 1
Neb.-Kearney UNK 0 1 2 0 0 1 X 4 8 1

W: Odle, Chloe (8-15) L: Myah Wolfe (0-2)

Game Recap: Softball |

Lopers Sweep the Tigers to End the 2026 Season

Kearney, Neb. – Juniors Zakayia Fredrick and Chloe Odle tossed complete games, and Nebraska Kearney totaled 16 hits to sweep a double header with Fort Hays State, 5-2 and 4-2, Saturday afternoon at Dryden Park.

This was the season finale for both teams as the Lopers end up at 16-37 (5-19 MIAA) and the Tigers are at 19-30 (5-19 MIAA).  

"It's a good way to go out. We talked about playing the rest of this week for our two seniors who've been huge contributors to our program," said UNK head coach Katie Ackermann. "To get wins today, gives the rest of the team some momentum moving forward. This is the most put together softball we've played all year."

In game one, Fredrick (Victoria, Texas) blanked Hays over the first six innings and threw a 10-hitter overall. Throwing 134 pitches, she fanned seven and walked just two. Sophomore Bailey Peterson (Oakdale, Calif.) helped Fredrick get out of a jam in the top of the fourth thanks to a diving catch at second base. In her first game at the position, she promptly got up and threw to first base for an inning ending double play. Alivia De La Cruz

Raymond junior third baseman Alyssa Fortik (2 for 3, one run & three RBI's), Wahoo senior shortstop Mary Chvatal (3 for 4, two runs) and Texas junior left fielder Zaria Brigham (2 for 3, one RBI) paced the offense. Finally, the first three Tigers were a combined 6 for 12 but Hays stranded nine on the base paths.  

Odle (Beloit, Kan.) threw a seven-hitter and her team-best 12th complete game of the year. She earned her team-leading eighth win by fanning four over 114 pitches and working around a first inning run.

Chvatal (2 for 3) and Blair sophomore first baseman Kalli Ulven (2 for 3, two runs) led at the plate with Ulven having a solo shot to left center in the sixth. UNK got an RBI single from Colorado junior catcher Kendall Kersey in the second with Ulven seeing two teammates score with two down in the third after the Tigers missed played a grounder she hit. In the second, Kersey caught a tipped bunt and threw to first base for an unlikely double play.

"Team 62; lots of lessons learned throughout a hard season. We stuck together and I'm going to miss them a ton," said Ackermann. 

For the Tigers in game two, sophomore Myah Wolfe threw an eight-hitter with first baseman Lilly Mohr going 2 for 3.

Chvatal and outfielder Alivia De La Cruz (Mesa, Ariz.) are the only seniors on this year's Loper team. By playing in both games today, Chvatal tied the school record for career games played (200) set by Julie Norskov back in 1989. Next, Chvatal tallied 36 walks this season, tying a school record originally set by Lyndsey Roth in 2022 and tied by Chvatal last spring. Finally, Chvatal ends with a Loper all-time best 115 career walks. 

"They were leaders in action all year. They love the game so much and the game has given so much back to them," said Ackermann. "They are a big reason Dryden Park looks the way it does now and why we had a big crowd out today."

As a team, UNK posted wins over likely NCAA Tournament teams in Missouri Southern, Cal State Monterey Bay, and Concordia-Irvine.
 
 
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