Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score (PDF/HTML)
Game 2 Box Score (PDF/HTML)

PULLMAN, Wash. – The UNO baseball team played a doubleheader at Washington State on Friday, falling 13-4 and 12-6 at Bailey-Brayton Field. With the losses, the Mavericks are now 1-5 on the year, while the Cougars improve to 3-2.

UNO and WSU's squads combined for 49 hits on the day, and sophomore Caleb Palensky went 5-for-8 to lead the Mavericks in the twinbill. Freshman Alex Mortensen drove in three runs, and sophomore Beau Suponchick scored three times over the two games.

GAME 1 – WASHINGTON STATE 13, NEBRASKA OMAHA 4
Senior Colby McCord starred in the opener, going 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI. Mortensen also went 2-for-3 with two runs driven in, and Suponchick chipped in a hit with two scores. Senior Cory Buckley added a 2-for-4 effort as the designated hitter.

The winning pitcher was J.D. Leckenby (1-1), who scattered seven hits and over five innings with six strikeouts, as the Mavs managed just one unearned run in the span. Junior Matt Tew (0-1) took the loss, allowing five runs on four walks in the start.

WSU charged out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, then extended it to 7-0 by the third. UNO got on the board in the fourth inning when Suponchick reached on an error, advanced to third on a double by Buckley and came in on a passed ball.

The Cougars tacked on another run in the fifth, then put up five more scores in the seventh, making it 13-1. Nebraska Omaha picked up a pair of runs in the eighth when Mortensen sent a two-RBI double to right center, pushing Suponchick and McCord across the plate. The Mavs added one more run in the ninth, as Hohl singled and came in on McCord's double to left center to make the final tally 13-4 in game one.

GAME 2 – WASHINGTON STATE 12, NEBRASKA OMAHA 6
The nightcap saw Palensky go a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish with one run scored. Hohl finished 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI, and senior Mark Waldron contributed another multi-hit performance at 2-for-4 with a run. Sophomore Ryan Tomlinson also went 1-for-4 with two RBI and chipped in a run of his own.

As a team, UNO finished with 11 hits, including doubles from Hohl, Palensky and Mortensen. Washington State had 12 hits with a triple from Kyle Johnson and the first home run of the year from Taylor Ard, who led the Pac-10 in homers last season.

Scott Simon (1-0) earned the win with 6.2 innings of work, allowing six runs on eight hits with four strikeouts. Junior Steven Schoonover (0-1) took the loss, throwing 5.1 innings while giving up seven runs – six earned – off seven hits with just one walk.

Hohl opened the game with a double to left, then advanced to third on Palensky's sacrifice groundout. Junior Tyler Splichal then had an RBI sacrifice fly to left that plated Hohl and gave the Mavericks the early 1-0 lead.

Washington State tied it in the bottom of the frame, as Nate Blackham started off with a single through the left side. The Cougars then loaded the bases, and Adam Nelubowich became the second WSU hit batsman of the inning, pushing Blackham across the plate to make it 1-1.

After WSU went ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the third, the Mavericks knotted the score at 2-2 in the top of the fourth. Palensky began the inning with a single to right and moved to second with Splichal's sacrifice. Mortensen delivered an RBI double down the leftfield line, plating Palensky and tying the game again.

The tie was short-lived, however, as the Cougars stormed back for three runs on three hits in the next half-inning. Tommy Richards drew a walk, and Patrick Claussen and Ian Sagdal rattled off back-to-back singles that scored Richards and put both runners in scoring position. Jones flied out to right center to bring in Claussen, and Blackham's single to right scored Sagdal and got it to 5-2.

Washington State pushed its advantage further with another run in the fifth, coupled with a three-run addition in the sixth that put the Cougars up 9-2.

The Mavs exploded for four runs of their own in the seventh, tallying five hits. Suponchick and Mancuso both earned their way on after being hit by pitches, sandwiching a single through the left side by Waldron. With the bases loaded, Tomlinson singled down the leftfield line to score both Suponchick and Waldron, followed by Hohl's double to left center that plated Tomlinson and Joe Mancuso and pushed it to 10-6.

In the eighth, Washington State bolstered its lead with pair of runs on a trio of hits. Sagdal drew a leadoff walk and stole second, coming in on P.J. Jones' single to center. Blackham then singled through the right side and later came in on Johnson's RBI groundout for WSU's final run, securing the 12-6 final score.

UNO returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 25, facing Washington State in the third of four games for the weekend. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. (CT) at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman, Wash.