Kearney, Neb. – Freshman Daniella Morillas threw 219 pitches and the last 11 innings to help Nebraska-Kearney sweep Briar Cliff, 8-5 and 8-2, Friday at Patriot Park.
This was the home opener for the Lopers (6-5) and the first February home games since 2006. The two teams meet again on Saturday (12 and 2 p.m.).
On a typical day at Patriot i.e. a steady wind blowing 40mph consistently, the Lopers turned to Morillas (Newcastle, Calif.) to lead them over the NAIA Chargers (4-2). She fanned five and allowed just one earned run over the final four innings in game one, tossing 79 pitches along the way. After a short break, she came back to throw a 140-pitch, eight-hit complete game in the nightcap. BCU stranded 11 as Morillas (4-2) worked out of several jams thanks to 11 K’s.
The first game wasn’t a thing of beauty as the teams combined for eight errors, seven walks, three passed balls and 17 runners left on base. UNK held leads of 4-1 and 5-4 but the Chargers tied things up again in the fifth. However, the Lopers finally moved for good thanks to a three-run sixth that featured a double to right center by Colorado junior second baseman Rylyn Nelson (2 for 4) and an RBI grounder by California freshman third baseman Gianna Galli.
A 10-hit Loper attack was paced by Lincoln senior center fielder Carly Dembowski (2 for 3, four RBI’s) and Wahoo sophomore shortstop and leadoff hitter Mary Chvatal (2 for 4, three runs).
To pick up another win, the Lopers scored runs five straight innings in the late contest. Galli (3 for 4), Nelson (1 for 3), Elkhorn junior Jaycee Schutte (1 for 2), and Colorado sophomore DP Jaiden Harteker (2 for 3) each had two RBI’s with UNK busting things open with a four-run sixth. Briar Cliff left the bases loaded in the first and fourth innings and then Morillas struck out the side in the seventh.
