April 21, 2008

Metro State Takes Four From Softball

Lopers Hit Three HR's on Sunday

     Kearney, Neb. – The Metro State pitching staff limited Nebraska-Kearney to nine runs over the weekend in sweeping a four-game RMAC series in Denver.

      The Roadrunners, a first-year program, won 11-3 (5 innings) and 3-2 Saturday and then 7-3 and 4-1 on Sunday. UNK (15-25, 14-20 RMAC has lost five in a row but still has a shot to make the eight-team RMAC Tournament the first week of May.

      The Lopers will likely need to win five or six of it's RMAC games this week to make the postseason tournament. UNK is at Chadron State Wednesay and hosts Colo.-Colo. Springs this weekend.

     Metro (26-16, 22-11), mean while, is in contention to host the tournament, along with Mesa State and Colorado Mines.

      In Sunday's first game, Amber Roundtree (2 for 4) led of the bottom of the first with a homer and later came around to score in the third on a two run double from Sarah Rusch (2 for 4).

      The 'Runners would finish the game with 13 hits while UNK mustered just five off of two Metro pitchers. Blair sophomore Kelsey Smith (2 for 3) and Colorado junior Hannah Liming each hit solo homers in the fourth, cutting the Metro lead to one.

      However, the 'Runners added two in the bottom of the inning and then an unearned run in the fifth to finish the scoring.

      The series finale was a pitchers dual between Yutan freshman Jessie Thomas and Metro's Jessica Fischer. Each went the distance and combined to give up only 13 hits.

      Fischer managed to win for the 10^th time in 2008 by fanning eight and giving up just six hits. UNK left seven runners on base, including three in the fifth.

      Two singles and a double scored two in the Metro second, then a two more singles and a double scored another run in the third. UNK had taken a 1-0 lead when Blair freshman Cassie Keck hit her team-leading eighth homer with two outs in the second.

      Ashley Johnson (2 for 3) brought home the game's final run with a single in the fifth. Thomas, falling to 4-8, struck out three and didn't walk a batter in six innings.

      On Saturday, Metro rallied for a pair of wins. In the series opener, UNK grabbed a 3-2 lead in the third on the strength of two hits and two errors. Lincoln sophomore Alissa Larsen (3 for 3) got the inning going with a single, then scored when Metro misplayed a ground ball from Smith.

      However, the' Runners scored two in the third and then erupted for seven in the fifth to win the game. Danni Hedstrom had a two run triple in the fifth with Nicole Lyles knocking in four in the game. despite going 1 for 1. 

      In the night cap, Thomas threw five scoreless innings but Metro scored two in the sixth and one in the seventh to record another win.

      Three hits and a Loper error helped Metro tie the game in the sixth. In the seventh, Jenessa Tesone was hit by a pitch to start the inning and then moved to second on a single. After a fly out, Hedstrom (3 for 4) hit a game winning single to left.

      UNK had five hits in the game with Omaha sophomore Laura Gormley going 2 for 3.