Kearney, Neb.: The Regis baseball team dropped two close ones to conference-leading Nebraska-Kearney 5-4 and 4-3.
Nebraska-Kearney (32-13, 27-9 RMAC) scored two in the third inning but Regis (20-25, 18-19 RMAC) came back with two of their own in the fourth. With two outs, freshman Steven Brault hit a single to centerfield. Fellow freshman Jon Shoutta cranked his team-leading 15th homerun to drive in Brault.
UNK scored two in the sixth and one more in the eighth before Regis put together a late rally to put a scare in the Lopers.
Junior Alex Haag opened the ninth with a walk and sophomore Bob Terry singled and an error put Haag and Terry on third and second. Brault singled to the pitcher to drive in Haag and then Shoutta drove in his third run of the game with a single to left field to drive in Terry. The Rangers had runners at second and third with just one out but couldn't score either of them as the final two batters popped out and grounded to third giving Nebraska-Kearney the 5-4 victory.
Brault went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Shoutta and Terry were each 2-for-4.
Regis ace Charlie Henderson went eight innings giving up five earned runs and dropping to 7-3 on the season.
The Regis offense was stymied and collected just four hits, including two by junior Ty Lain, who also drove in two of the Ranger runs. Freshman John Tosches went 1-for-2 with an RBI.
UNK scored two runs in the second inning and would be four innings before someone would score again. The Rangers put together three runs in the sixth to take a 3-2 lead.
Terry led off the inning by getting on by an error by the shortstop. Brault was then hit by pitch and then they each moved up one base on a wild pitch. The bases were loaded when Shoutta walked, with no outs. Tosches hit a ball to the second baseman who tried to turn the double play but couldn't and drove in Terry. Lain then singled to right field to score both Tosches and Shoutta. A fielders choice and a lineout to third base ended the Regis rally.
UNK scored two in the bottom half of the sixth and then the Rangers went three-up-and-three-down in the seventh to fall by one run again.
The two will play another doubleheader tomorrow and will be the final tuneup for both teams before next week's RMAC tournament in Grand Junction, Colo.
Junior Steve Falconi was saddled with the loss but pitched well. He threw five innings scattering just five hits and allowing three earned runs, while striking out four. Senior Bryant Asnicar came in for a perfect sixth inning and struck out two.
