KEARNEY, Neb. – The Minot State baseball team fell 11-2 at Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday afternoon, clinching the series sweep for the Lopers at Memorial Field in Kearney, Neb.

The Beavers drop to 2-8 on the season entering Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play next weekend while the Lopers improve to 10-10 (3-3 MIAA).

Minot State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Zack Kunkel reached on a double to left field and later scored on a wild pitch.

UNK answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning when Ty Roseberry hit his team-leading seventh home run of the season with a three-run home run.

The Lopers added another run in the second inning to take a 4-1 lead. Minot State got the run back in the top of the third inning when Celestino Rodigriuez reached on a field error, allowing Michael Borst to score. Borst reached on a fielder’s choice and Darrel Doll walked before Rodriguez reached on the error.

UNK added one run in the fourth and four runs in the fifth inning before chipping in two runs in the eighth inning to clinch the 11-2 victory.

Minot State scored two runs on eight hits and committed three defensive errors while Nebraska-Kearney scored 11 runs on 13 hits and recorded three errors.

Brandon Hernandez went 3-for-5 at the plate with three RBIs to lead the Lopers while Roseberry went 2-for-5 with three RBIs.

Wyatt Schlosser, Ethan Fleming and Kunkel recorded two hits apiece to lead the Beavers. Schlosser and Kunkel notched a double and a single while Fleming registered two singles. Doll and Borst also reached twice with two walks each.

Justin Demary (0-3) suffered his third loss of the season while surrendering nine runs, five earned, on nine hits and striking out three batters in 4.2 innings of work.

Jack Gamba pitched 2.1 innings of one-hit relief while striking out two batters before Aaron Bernal tossed the final inning.

Minot State opens NSIC next weekend, as the Beavers travel to Winona, Minn. to face Winona State on Saturday and Sunday, March 17-18 in a pair of doubleheaders. Saturday’s doubleheader begins at 1:30 p.m. while Sunday’s games start at noon.

– Minot State athletics