UNK Softball: Lopers Drop Games to SNU & #16 SAU

UNK Faces SEOSU & ATU on Saturday

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney softball team fell to 16th-ranked Southern Arkansas, 6-5, and Southern (Okla.) Nazarene, 6-0, Friday in the Oklahoma City area. This was day one of the Raising Cane's Softball Festival hosted by SNU and Central Oklahoma. The Lopers (4-6) will face Southeastern Oklahoma State (12:30 p.m.) and Arkansas Tech (6 p.m.) on Saturday. The Lopers led SAU, 2-0, after the first inning and then almost rallied to tie things up at six in the bottom of the seventh. Four singles brought home two runs and put the tying run at second. However, the Muleriders (10-0) got an infield pop up and strike out to end the rally and game. Lincoln junior left fielder Carly Dembowski went 3 for 4 with two runs and an RBI from the three-hole with cleanup hitter and sophomore first baseman Leah Jurgens finishing 2 for 4. Finally for UNK, California sophomore third baseman Sydney Thomason scored twice with Colorado junior Stacy Bott getting the final three outs in the top of the seventh. Freshman DP Regan Dillon (2 for 3, two RBI's & one run) and Illinois State transfer Jaxynn Dyson (2 for 3, two runs) paced SAU with three pitchers combining for six K's, five walks, and three earned runs. Freshman Olivia Hernandez (2-1) threw a complete game three-hit shut out to lead the Crimson Storm (5-4) in the early game. Throwing 122 pitches, she fanned 14, walked four and allowed three singles. In five collegiate appearances she now has a 1.09 ERA. SNU gave Hernandez all the support she needed with a two-run first. They then added two more in the fourth and one more in the sixth. Eight different players registered a hit with nine-hole hitter and left fielder Hannah Morales (2 for 3, one RBI) and cleanup hitter Liana Heshiki (2 for 4, one RBI & one run) leading. Wahoo freshman shortstop Mary Chvatal (2 for 3) and Bott (5.1 IP, six runs, two K's) led the Lopers. Bott threw 96 pitches before giving way to California freshman Faith Gaynor with Colorado sophomore Jaiden Harteker having a pinch-hit single in the seventh.