By Terry Douglass
terry.douglass@theindependent.com

UNK overcame a 3-1 deficit with a six-run fifth inning and broke the game open with a seven-run eighth during a 15-5 victory over the Broncos at Memorial Field. After a slow start, the Lopers (16-16) finished with 17 hits while getting back to the .500 mark for the first time since Feb. 24.

"That's been our M.O. all season," Day said of UNK's scoring outbursts. "We have big innings, usually. The good thing that I was happy to see is that we had a big inning and then had another big innings.

"This past weekend, we had two or three big innings and that was it and we were unable to push other stuff across, so to see us continually be able to score and keep putting it on a team, that's something that we haven't had a lot of success doing."

Trey Howell, Leon de Winter and Joe Nowaczyk had three RBIs apiece while leadoff batter Tyler Keeble finished with three hits for Nebraska-Kearney. Nowaczyk hit a two-run homer to right-center to highlight UNK's fifth-inning rally, while de Winter's two-run double was the key hit for the Lopers in the eighth.

Hastings (11-19) jumped to a 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning as Pat Morey singled home Joe Piscitelli and then later scored on a two-out throwing error by Lopers third baseman Kyle Smith. The NAIA Broncos went ahead 3-0 in the top third when Morey led off with a single and later scored on double play.

However, UNK starter Jared Loschen (3-2) settled in after that. The sophomore right-hander from Kearney pitched five innings, allowing eight hits and three runs two earned while striking out two and walking none.

"I thought today was a good outing for Jared he gave us five innings and that's what he needed to do," Day said. "He left the ball over the middle of the plate a little bit, but he'll be the first one to tell you that.

"He made good pitches when necessary and got himself out of a couple of jams, so I think that's something for him to build on."

Day said the mid-week game between the Tri-Cities rivals was good for both programs. He said it allowed both he and Hastings coach Jim Boeve get innings for pitchers who haven't thrown much on the weekends, while also helping to keep the hitters sharp.

Boeve agreed. In fact, he said the Broncos may have found some additional mound help for their weekend Great Plains Athletic Conferences series as starter Josh Stovall gave Hastings four solid innings, allowing three hits and three runs while striking out three and walking two.

"You're looking for guys to see who you might go to later," Boeve said. "Stovall obviously made a strong case for himself to get more innings."

Boeve said he's also found that the Broncos have often performed better during the weekends if they have a mid-week contests.

"It's nice to get those mid-week at-bats for us," Boeve said. "I don't think Loschen has thrown as well as (UNK) thought he was going to this year, but he's still got a more live arm than we see in our league a lot of times, so those were good at-bats for us to get."

Reigning GPAC player of the week Bret Compliment, who was 7-for-12 last weekend, continued his hot hitting. The senior shortstop went 3-for-5 with a double to lead Hastings, while teammates Leigh Jochimsen and Morey added two hits apiece.

Hastings trailed just 8-5 with one out in the bottom of the eighth after Mick Krupski's two-run single. The Broncos had runners at first and second with the top of the order coming up, but Loper reliever Bobby Ficenec got Joe Piscitelli to pop up and Morey grounded out back to the mound.

"Even though the score got away from us in the end, it was a good ballgame," Boeve said. "We were down 8-5 with the top of the order up and guys on. I was thinking that if we could've gotten Compliment or (Joe) Jeanjaquet up with guys on, this thing could've gotten interesting because they can drive it out of here."

Now, both teams turn their attention back to conference play. The Broncos host Midland Lutheran in a doubleheader Saturday and play a twinbill at Nebraska Wesleyan Sunday.

Boeve said it's a key weekend for Hastings, which climbed into a three-way tie for fifth in the GPAC standings by improving to 4-4 with three straight wins last weekend.

"At 2 o'clock on Saturday, we were 12th in the league and at 6 o'clock on Sunday, we were tied for fifth," Boeve said. "So who knows what's going to happen?"

UNK, which is third in the four-team Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Plains Division and 2 1/2 games behind leader Regis (Colo.), hosts a key four-game weekend series against NCAA Division II No. 9-ranked Metro State (Colo.). The opening game is 6 p.m. Friday.

"We've just got to take care of ourselves," Day said. "We can't get into what everybody else is doing and where they're ranked or what their records our. We're worried about the Plains Division and we're three games behind Regis right now, so any games that we can win are more important than who they're against."

Hastings (11-19) 201 000 020 5 11 0

Neb.-Kearney (16-16) 001 060 17x 15 17 1

W Loschen (3-2). L Moos (1-2). 2B Hastings, Piscitelli (5), Compliment (7); Nebraska-Kearney, de Winter 2 (12), Archer (1). 3B Nebraska-Kearney, Cover (2). HR Nebraska-Kearney, Nowaczyk (4).