UNK uses big bats to sweep Sunday doubleheader from Colorado Christian

The Nebraska-Kearney baseball team pounded out 36 hits, including seven home runs, to sweep a doubleheader from Colorado Christian, 17-4 and 14-4, on Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday, the Lopers (20-20, 14-14 RMAC) lost the series opener, 9-3, but bounced back to beat the Cougars (12-31, 4-24 RMAC) in the nightcap, 6-1.

The first two games were played in Lakewood with Sunday's games being played up the road at Colorado School of Mines.

UNK got the offensive fireworks started early on Sunday by having five hits to score five runs in the first inning. Blair junior Kyle Smith (3 for 5) completed the big inning with a two run homer, his second of the year.

The Lopers would score two more in the third and then erupt for eight in the fifth. Senior Joe Gonzales (2 for 5) had a two run single in the set and then senior first baseman Joe Nowaczyk hit a grand slam a few batters later.

Also at the plate, juniors Nate Swearer and Brad Hull each had three hits with UNK having 21 for the game.

Kearney sophomore Jared Loschen won for the fourth time this spring by striking out six in six innings. Allowing 11 hits, Loschen didn't walk a batter and saw his defense turn four double plays.

UNK had six less hits and scored three fewer runs in the seven inning nightcap but hit five balls out of the park.

In the first, Swearer (2 for 4) and Nowaczyk (2 for 5) hit back-to-back homers, then sophomore Blake Cover hit a two-run shot to highlight a seven run fifth.

Just an inning later, senior Griff Watson (2 for 3) and Hull (3 for 5) each hit solo homers.

On the mound, Kearney senior Seth Svoboda picked up the win by allowing four hits and four runs in five full innings.

On Saturday, Arizona senior Ryan Wrobel helped UNK stop a four-game skid by throwing a complete-game 10-hitter.

Not allowing an earned run in seven innings, Wrobel struck out four and didn't walk a Cougar. Two doubleplay balls also helped Wrobel stop two CCU rallies.

Hastings College splits GPAC doubleheader with Dakota Wesleyan

HASTINGS Hastings College split a doubleheader Monday afternoon with Dakota Wesleyan at Duncan Field. The Broncos won game one 2-1 and lost game two 6-1.

Josh Stovall was the winning pitcher for the Broncos as he went 4 2/3 innings, giving up one run on four hits. Tim Stroman and Pat Morey came in for relief as Morey was credited with the save. Joe Jeanjaquet led the offensive charge with three hits, including a double. In game two, David Bates went six innings on the mound for Hastings (13-26, 6-10 GPAC), giving up six runs off 10 hits. Bret Compliment and Josh Mondragon each had one hit while Chris Denny had a RBI double driving in the Broncos only run.

* TRACK AND FIELD

UNK teams fifth, 10th at Papa John's Division II Challenge over weekend

The Nebraska-Kearney track and field teams placed fifth (men) and 10th (women) at the Papa John's Division II Challenge on Sunday afternoon in Emporia, Kan.

Due to weather, the meet was pushed back a full day. The ESU Multi-Events meet went as scheduled on Thursday and Friday.

On the men's side, UNK scored 54 points to come in ahead of seven teams. The Loper women tallied 27 points to beat Drury and Wayne State. Central Missouri won each team title (162 points for the men; 126 points for the women).

Kearney junior Kelli Dring had another strong weekend. Prior to the Challenge, she placed fourth in the heptathlon with 4,285 points. Among competing Division II athletes, the point total was the second highest.

Current UNK graduate assistant coach Katie Kosmos, a former member of the Doane track team, finished third (4,324) in the heptathlon.

On Sunday, Dring was runner up in the long jump (18-5.25) and seventh in the high jump (4-11).

The Loper men saw York junior Spencer Huff win the long jump (23-6.75). Fremont senior Seth Yount then picked up five team points with a fourth place effort (22-5.25) in the event.

Next, Fairbury junior Dakota Cochrane was runner up in the pole vault (15-1) and Ashland senior Jarrod Holz placed third in the discus (season-high 165-6).

* SOFTBALL

Huskers travel to Iowa State on Tuesday for Big 12 series

Fresh off its first Big 12 Conference victory of the season, the Nebraska softball team looks to build off that first win when the Huskers face the Iowa State Cyclones for a home-and-home series this week. NU will travel to Ames, Iowa, to take on ISU at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, before the Cyclones travel to Lincoln for a 5 p.m. first pitch on Thursday at Bowlin Stadium.

Tuesday's road trip to Iowa State marks the first of three away games for the Huskers this week, as Nebraska also travels to Stillwater, Okla., for a two-game weekend series with the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. The two games at OSU mark the final road games for the Huskers this season, as Nebraska finishes with eight straight homes games to end the year, including six against Big 12 foes.

Fans can listen to the remainder of the season on Huskers.com, courtesy of the Husker Sports Network. Every game will be available for free on Huskers.com, while live streaming video of the final seven Big 12 Conference home games is scheduled to be available on HuskersNSide.

After snapping their longest losing streak to open conference play since 1994, the Huskers look to make it two league wins in a row against the Cyclones. Nebraska swept the season series last year, but the Huskers have had to earn their victories in Ames. Nebraska needed eight innings to win at Iowa State in 2005 and the next year, the Cyclones defended their home field with a 6-5 victory that snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Huskers. Last season, Nebraska held on for a late 3-1 victory at Iowa State.

Overall, Nebraska has dominated the series, winning 26 of the 28 meetings in the Big 12 era, and posting a 62-15 all-time record against Iowa State. The Cyclones are much improved this season, however, as they enter the first matchup with a better record than the Huskers for the first time since 1993 and for only the third time in the NCAA era, which dates back to 1982. Tuesday's meeting will also mark the first time ever that Iowa State brings a winning record into the game and Nebraska does not, spanning the 29-year history of the series dating back to 1978.

In other Husker softball news, the head coach Rhonda Revelle announced on Monday that Lincoln native Madison Drake will be joining the Nebraska softball team this fall.

Drake, who attends Lincoln Southwest High School, earned first-team Super State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star last fall after guiding the Silverhawks to a state runner-up finish. As a shortstop for Southwest, Drake hit .434 as a senior, finishing 53-for-122. She also added 13 doubles, two home runs, 31 stolen bases and 35 RBIs. As a junior, Drake batted .320 with four triples and 23 RBIs. Although Drake will be an infielder for the Huskers, she also saw time in the circle at Southwest, finishing with a 1.76 ERA in 2007 and a 1.80 ERA in 2006.

Drake joins fellow Super Staters Ashley Hagemann and Nikki Haget of Elkhorn as incoming Huskers this fall. The trio will play together on July 30 for the Blue Team in the fourth annual Nebraska Coaches Association All-Star Softball Game at Bowlin Stadium. The three Nebraska natives will be joined next fall by Kirby Wright, an incoming catcher from Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.

* COLLEGE WRESTLING

UNK's Dlagnev wins University Nationals title in Akron, Ohio

KEARNEY Nebraska-Kearney senior wrestler Tervel Dlagnev recorded another milestone victory this past weekend by winning his weight class at the University National Freestyle Championships in Akron, Ohio.

In the first place match at 264.5 lbs. (120 kg), Dlagnev beat Aaron Anspach 1-0, 7-0. Anspach wrestled collegiality at Penn State and was the 2007 NCAA Division I runner up.

Dlagnev went 5-0 in the tournament and recorded pins of Jim Connors (Graybird Wrestling Club) and Konrad Duziak (New York Athletic Club).

He also had a tech fall of Blake Gillis, the 2007 Division III national champion, and beat Dave Zabriskie of the Cyclone Wrestling Club in the semifinals, 4-0, 6-0.

This past fall, Dlagnev won his weight class at the Sunkist Kids International Open. He will next compete at the ASICS U.S. National Championships April 23-26 in Las Vegas, Nev.

* COLLEGE TENNIS

UNK men 2-1 over the weekend; Loper women go 1-2 in Colorado

The Nebraska-Kearney tennis teams were busy over the weekend, playing Colorado Christian, Mesa State and Colorado State-Pueblo.

The Loper men (11-3, 4-1 RMAC) easily dispatched of the Cougars, 9-0, and Thunderwolves, 8-1, but were upset by Mesa, 5-4. This is UNK's only second regular season loss to an RMAC school over the last four years.

The UNK women (8-10, 2-3 RMAC), minus top players Mary Outhwaite and Kristen Messbarger due to injury, beat Christian, 6-1, but fell to Mesa, 7-2, and CSUP, 5-4.