Box Score

SAN ANGELO, Texas - The Mavericks had a three-run fourth inning to tie the South Central Region championship game but they gave up two late runs to No. 4 Angelo State and fell, 6-4 to the Rambelles Sunday afternoon at the ASU Softball Complex.

Nebraska-Omaha ended its season at 45-17 and will finish tied for third among the eight South Central Region teams that played in two seperate tournament. They were the runner-up in their subregional and the MIAA tournament and they finished fourth in their first regular season in the MIAA with a 14-6 mark.

With the bases loaded in the fourth, Molly Feichtinger hit a slow roller to third for a hit. The throw to first base, which would have been late anyway, was wild and two runs scored to tie the score at 4-4. Feichtinger was credited with a hit and an RBI on one of the runs.

Macy Baker then hit her second home run of the game with a solo shot to left in the top of the fifth to put her team back up.

After a scoreless sixth the Belles added an insurance run in the seventh when they loaded the bases and got one in on a single by Megan Pumphrey.

Feichtinger, Treightin Yates and Lindsley Slocum, the top of the batting order for UNO, all had one hit and an RBI. Amanda Bader finished her four-year career by going 2 for 4 at the plate.

Slocum started the game as pitcher for UNO and gave up all six runs to earn the loss. She finished the year 15-4 after she gave up seven hits, struck out four and walked one.

Sandy James led off the game with a double and then Baker hit a two-run shot well over the left field fence to give the Rambelles an early lead. Baker finished the day 3 for 3 with three RBI.

The Belles (46-8) had a chance to add to their lead in the second inning but Bader chased down a liner over her head in left field to rob Nicole Smith of extra bases. Slocum snagged two grounders in the pitching circle to get the other two outs in the inning.

The Belles produced a threat in the third inning but Slocum and the Maverick defense kept them to just one run after giving up two hits and a walk. James led off with a walk and then went to third on a double from Baker. Alix Dean then singled up the middle to score James and Baker was held at third. Yates then cleanly fielded a pair of grounders at second base and kept Baker at third while recording force outs at first to end the inning.

Yates doubled in the third and then scored on Slocum's single to give UNO its first run of the game. ASU got the run back in the top of the fourth when Nicole Smith reached on an error on a bunt and then stole second and third and scored when catcher Kristi Meneely's throw to third was wild.

Jenna Dell walked with one out in the bottom of the seventh for UNO and then Bader had an infield single to bring the winning run to the plate. ASU pitcher Chelsea Nelson then got a double play from her defense to end the game and send the Rambelles to the super regional.

Nelson worked the final 3 1/3 innings for ASU and gave up three hits but no runs to get her 28th win of the year.

Feichtinger ended the year with a .325 batting average to lead the Mavericks. Jenna Dell drove in 35 runs for the team lead and she joined Katelyn Hinton with a team-best eight home runs.

Melissa Negrete led the pitching staff with 17 wins and a 1.50 ERA and Beth Haley had four saves, one off the school record.

All of those leaders will return next year.