April 5, 2008

Softball Sweeps First Place Mines

Lopers Use Long Ball to Win Game One, Bunt to Secure Game Two

      Kearney, Neb. – Junior Ashley Guyle tossed a six hit complete game and senior Molly Langerak and sophomore Kelsey Smith hit homers in the same inning to help the Nebraska-Kearney softball team sweep Colorado School of Mines, 8-5 and 2-1, Saturday afternoon at Dryden Park.

      UNK (10-20, 9-15 RMAC) wins two in a row for the first time since March 8-9th. Mines, entering the day in first place in the East Division, falls to 23-13 (13-7).

      In game one, the Orediggers tied things at four when Katie Kocman (2 for 4) hit an RBI single in the top of the fifth. Mines could've moved ahead but Sarah Van Lingen was picked off at third and then senior Amanda Bell fanned Stacie LaRocque to end the rally.

      UNK would then score four runs in the bottom of the inning to take control. Langerak (Erie, Colo.) led off the set with a homer to left center -- her second dinger of the game -- and then, two batters later, Smith (Blair) hit a three run homer to right center. This was Smith's first homer of 2008 and the third of her career.

      Bell (Ft. Collins, Colo.) worked the final three innings to record her fifth win of the spring. Langerak finished 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBI's with three other Lopers recording two hits.

       The eight runs is the second most for UNK this year, trailing only a 16-run effort at Fort Lewis on March 1^st.

      Guyle (Mead) led the way in the night cap, throwing her third complete game of the year to win for the second time in 2008. She fanned two Orediggers and walked none while giving up two hits and a run in the first.

      Kocman (7-4) was nearly equal to the task, throwing a three hit complete game. However, she walked four Lopers with one of the base on balls leading to the winning run.

      UNK tied the game in the third with an RBI ground out from sophomore Laura Gormley (Omaha Northwest). Senior Katie Pfannenstiel (Omaha) drew a walk to start the fifth and pinch runner Jessica Guyle (Mead) moved to second on a sac bunt from senior Michelle Gaunt (McCook).

      A single from Lincoln sophomore Alissa Larsen (2 for 2) got J. Guyle one base closer. Then, Langerak executed a "safety squeeze" bunt that scored Larsen.

      Kocman did hit a one out double in the sixth but A. Guyle retired the next four 'Diggers in order.

      The two teams play another double header on Sunday starting at 11:00 a.m. Pictured below are A. Guyle-Langerak-Smith.