KEARNEY, Neb. – Nebraska-Kearney out-slugged the RiverHawks 22-16 on a blustery Friday evening contest with five home runs, and an off night on the defensive side for NSU with a season high five errors.

Despite the high scoring game, the RiverHawks led by nine runs out of the gates with Chad Reibenspies getting a grand slam in the first, and adding in five more in the second.  However, the games momentum shifted in the bottom half of the inning with UNK hitting four homers, and scoring eight runs.

The Lopers (10-22, 3-16 MIAA) went ahead in the third with their fifth home run of the contest to plate two runs.  In the next frame, UNK overtook the RiverHawks with three more runs to go up 13-9.

In the fifth, NSU got within a run of the Lopers with Michael Rhea hitting a RBI triple, Dakota Woods scoring on a RBI walk, and Dakota Morse tied the game with a single down the left field line.   Zach Henderson who homered in the second, hit a sac fly for the tying run in the sixth.  

The lead shifted hands for the final time in the bottom half of the sixth with two RBI double to left field to go up 15-13.  Nebraska-Kearney added to their lead in the seventh with seven run on five hits, increasing their lead to nine.

Northeastern State brought in three runs in the ninth on a pair of hits.

A total of 33 hits were recorded by both teams, Morse led the RiverHawks after he went 3-for-6 with a pair of RBI.

NSU used five pitchers on the hill with Hunter Neal (4-3) getting charged with the loss.    

The RiverHawks (17-13, 11-8 MIAA) will return to the field on Saturday at 3 p.m., Nolan Sturgeon will get the start in game two.