LINCOLN – A mixed day for the Bearcat Baseball team in the opening rounds of the HAC Tournament as Kearney fell 6-5 in their opening matchup to Norfolk before blasting Fremont in the consolation round.
The Bearcats entered the field as the No. 8 seed and 5-9 on the season, hoping to build some momentum heading into the middle stretch of April. The first contest of the tournament pitted the Bearcats against No. 9 Norfolk, the same Panther team Kearney had dispatched 13-2 just five days prior at Grand Island’s Ryder Park.
Kearney held a lead but dropped late in the contest, giving up a double from Zach Cordner in the top of the fifth inning that scored the leading run for the Panthers as Kearney dropped another one run contest 6-5 at Den Hartog Field. The Bearcats’ Aidan Poppe fielded the loss for Kearney, allowing five hits and four runs over three innings of work. Kearney ended with five runs scored on nine hits with three errors. Norfolk scored six runs off of nine hits with no errors.
The loss became the third loss in four contests that Kearney has dropped by one run.
Dropping into the consolation round, the Bearcats hoped to find some success to close out their tournament with their second performance of the day. Kearney did so, crushing Fremont in six innings 12-1.
The Bearcats (6-10) had 12 runs off of nine hits with two errors while Fremont fielded one run with nine hits and six errors.
A big third inning gave Kearney a cushion, scoring four runs thanks in part to singles by Beau Skala and Karter Lee.
Bryce Andersen led the contest and took the win for Kearney, going six innings allowing one run on nine hits and striking out six batters.
Kearney returns to Memorial Field for the first time since March 21 on Friday, hosting a rematch with Fremont before taking on Hastings on Saturday at home. Both games will be on KGFW with Austin Jacobsen on the call.
