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Posted by Administrator on May 01 2007
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This past weekend, the Lopers baseball team hosted the Plains Division leader Colorado State-Pueblo at Memorial Field.

In the first of a four game RMAC series, the Thunderwovles increased their lead over the Lopers in the Plains Division standings.

CSUP not only stopped a six game UNK winning streak, but also gave junior Seth Svoboda of Kearney, his first loss after five straight wins. Svoboda is now 0-2 against Pueblo this season.
Svoboda did get out of a bases loaded jam in the first with a strike out of Nick Runstadler. After CSUP catcher Adam Auer hit his first homer of the year with one out in the second, Manny Madrid walked and Doug Hurst struck out.

That's when Pueblo's bats got going, registering four straight hits and three for extra bases. The set featured a total of five runs and a two run dinger by Nick Castellanos.

Senior lefty Cody Hovdestad, of Swift Current, Sask., then held Pueblo scoreless the next three innings. During that time, he fanned two and got one double play.

However, UNK couldn't solve Pueblo starter Nate Whitworth or reliever Jesus Rodriguez. Over the first seven innings, the Lopers managed just four hits and one run.

Lincoln sophomore, Nate Swearer (3 for 5, three RBIs) got UNK on the board with a run scoring single in the sixth and then junior lefty Joe Nowaczyk, Gretna, hit a three run homer to left to highlight a four run seventh.

Also for the Lopers, Omaha senior Cody Lusero went 3 for 4 and Gothenburg sophomore Luke Edson was effective in a long relief role.�

For Pueblo, Auer was just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle and was one of four other players to have two RBI's. He came into the game with only one extra base hit all spring.

On Saturday, a day with the wind blowing out to left field, Colorado State-Pueblo got late inning home runs from Ryan Castellanos and Adam Auer to sweep a double header from UNK, 10-8 and 9-7.

Thanks to two home runs from Gretna junior, Joe Nowaczyk, UNK battled back from deficits of 3-1 and 6-2 in game one.

The second dinger tied the game in the fifth and Lincoln sophomore, Brad Hull hit a two out single to give the Lopers a 7-6 lead.

However, the lead was short lived as Pueblo scored four times in the sixth The big blow was a three run shot from Castellanos. He also homered Friday night, and then went yard in the second game.
Also for the T-Wolves, Auer went 4 for 4 with one run and two RBIs. On Friday night, he also was 4 for 4.

UNK managed to get the catcher out the first two times he was up in game two, but Auer then hit a double down the right field line to reach base again. The Canadian then hit a one out homer in the seventh inning to break a seven all tie.

Auer is now 10 for 12 in the series with five extra base hits, 3 doubles and 2 homers. He came into the series with one extra base hit and a double for the entire year.

UNK used the long ball to score a majority of its runs. Going deep in the game were Colorado senior, Ryan Bucher, Lincoln sophomore, Nate Swearer and Blair sophomore, Kyle Smith.

Grossmont, Calif., senior lefty Paul Schleifer suffered the loss but threw his third complete game of the year. He fanned three and gave up eight earned runs on 15 hits and five walks.

The final game of the series was cancel due to the rain that fall Saturday night.

The Lopers will be in action this weekend again at home hosting the Regis Rangers. The first pitch will be at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, but prior to first pitch, the Lopers will be honoring the 1967 UNK baseball team.

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