UNK Athletics
Peter Yazvac, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations
KEARNEY –Nebraska-Kearney scored an unprecedented 31 runs to sweep a double header from Lincoln, 9-8 and 22-13, Saturday afternoon in Jefferson City, Mo.
The Lopers improve to 8-14 (4-4) while the Blue Tigers fall to 4-24 (1-11). UNK amassed 34 hits on the day to win for the fifth time in six contests. The hit total included 15 extra base hits as the Lopers rallied in both games.
In game one senior third baseman Cheyenne Hamilton (Frederick, Colo.) belted a two-out, three run homer in the top of the sixth to provide the winning margin. UNK took advantage of an error on a fielder’s choice with one out. After an infield pop up, Hamilton smacked the third pitch she saw over the left field fence for her team-leading fourth dinger of the spring.
Missouri junior Sarah Handrahan picked up the win in relief by allowing one earned over the final 3.2 innings. Lincoln came back from a 6-3 deficit by scoring three in the fourth and two more in the fifth but the Blue Tigers went quietly in the sixth and seventh innings.
Hamilton finished 4 for 4 with five RBI’s with leadoff hitter Carlee Leisch (Lincoln Pius) going 3 for 4 with three runs. Both clubs stranded six on base with UNK out hitting LU by a 14-12 margin.
The night cap featured 35 runs on 34 hits, nine errors and six walks. Lincoln scored 10 in its half of the second with UNK tallying 10 in its half of the third to take a 16-10 lead.
Leisch (5 for 6, four runs & two RBI’s) had an epic day but fellow Pius graduate and second baseman Abbie Vodicka was even better, going 4 for 5 with four runs and five RBI’s. She had a run scoring double in the second, a two-run shot in the third, a two-run homer in the fifth and a triple in the sixth. Also on offense, Hamilton was 2 for 5 with four RBI’s.
Kansas freshman Megan Blake earned her first collegiate win by allowing one earned run over the final five innings. She fanned three and walked just two in throwing 75 pitches.
UNK is slated to host nationally-ranked Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State next weekend.