Feb. 9, 2008

Box Score

DENVER, COLO. - Brennan Brown and Jake Palmer each had three RBI to lead Metro State to a 15-10 victory over Nebraska-Kearney in a nonconference baseball game, Saturday afternoon at Auraria Field.

After Nebraska-Kearney scored a single run in the top of the first, Metro State got two in the first and two more in the second. Palmer blasted a two-run home run to center with two out in the first, while Josh Marner led off the second with a home run of his own to right.

The Roadrunners scored six more runs in the fourth to chase Loper starter Ryan Wrobel and go ahead 10-1. Twelve men batted in the inning as Metro State took advantage of five hits and two UNK errors. Palmer and Matt McConnell each had RBI singles, while Troy Spahn was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

"We came out well," said Roadrunner head coach Bobby Pierce. "We faced a good quality starter in Wrobel and we hit him well."

Nebraska-Kearney slowly chipped away, scoring two runs in the seventh and five in the eighth to make the score 13-10. In the eighth, Blake Cover connected on a two-run home run, while Travis Lindhorst had a pinch-hit RBI double and Joe Nowaczyk added a two-run single. However, Metro State answered back with two more runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run single by pinch hitter Alex Krohn.

"I felt like we lost concentration and gave away some at-bats after getting a lead," said Pierce. "I felt like we could have put them away earlier if we didn't lose concentration. However, I like that we did score those runs late to finish the game."

Palmer had three hits and three RBI, while Brown had two hits and three RBI and Reece Gorman added two hits and two RBI for Metro State. Nowczyk had two hits and three RBI, while Cover added two hits and two RBI for the Lopers.

Junior transfer Steven Green earned his first career win for Metro State, as he went five innings, giving up two hits and three runs, two earned, while striking out six and walking five. Nebraska-Kearney had just one hit after four innings.

"Green is a big-time competitor," said Pierce. "He got into some jams but then stepped up with some big pitches to get out of them with some key strikeouts."

With the win, Metro State improves to 1-0 overall, while Nebraska-Kearney falls to 0-1. The two teams play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.