Box Score Box Score (PDF)
AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The UNO baseball team played its seventh game in seven days on Sunday, falling 5-2 to Jacksonville State at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational at Lake Myrtle Park. With the loss, the Mavericks are 7-15 on the year and 4-2 at the tournament, while JSU improves to 4-13.
Tanner Freshour (1-0) earned the win in relief, surrendering two hits over two scoreless innings, and Todd Hornsby earned his second save in as many days for the Gamecocks. The loss went to sophomore
Jeff McNichols, who is now 0-1 on the year.
In addition, senior
Andrew Reck threw six innings in his start, allowing one run on seven hits with five strikeouts and a walk.
Senior
Brady Hohl was the only Maverick to tally more than one hit, finishing 2-for-4. Senior
Mark Waldron went 1-for-1 with a run scored and another driven in while drawing two walks, and senior
Brandon Winkelmann went 1-for-3 while scoring once.
Scott Underwood led JSU with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate while notching two runs, and Kyle Bluestein went 2-for-5 with one run and two RBI.
Jacksonville State took the first lead at 1-0 in the top of the first inning, as Underwood tripled down the right field line and came in on Ben Waldrip's RBI groundout.
The Mavs tied it at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth with a trio of hits. Three consecutive singles by Waldron, sophomore
Caleb Palensky and freshman
Alex Mortensen loaded the bases for Winkelmann, whose RBI groundout brought in Waldron to knot the score.
In the next frame, freshman
Max Ayoub started the inning being hit by a pitch and moved to second on Hohl's single to right. Both runners advanced on senior
Colby McCord's sacrifice bunt, and Waldron's sacrifice fly to center plated Ayoub to give UNO a 2-1 edge that stood for three innings.
JSU rallied for two runs on two hits and one Maverick miscue in the top of the eighth to regain the lead. Bluestein scored on a wild pitch, and Eric Underwood came in when Kyle Stone singled up the middle, putting the Gamecocks ahead 3-2.
Jacksonville State kept the Mavericks from moving any runner into scoring position in the final two innings, and the Gamecocks posted a pair of insurance runs by way of three hits in the top of the ninth for the final score of 5-2. The loss ended UNO's four-game string of victories, its first win streak this season.
Nebraska Omaha returns to action on Tuesday, March 20, facing Northwestern in the Mavericks' final game of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. First pitch is set for Noon (CT) at Chain of Lakes Stadium in Winter Haven, Fla.