UNO 8, UNK 0 (5 inn.)
UNO 7, UNK 3
OMAHA, Neb. - It was a picture perfect day for the UNO softball team in its debut at the Westside Field at Westbrook. The Mavs put on a powerful display in sweeping Nebraska-Kearney, 8-0 (5 inn.) and 7-3 in front of 147 fans on a sunny, 70-degree day at the brand new ballpark.
Amber Lutmer had three home runs on the day, and
Katelyn Hinton and
Mara Eeman each had one, as the Mavs hit five home runs in the doubleheader and doubled their season total of five home runs through 25 games in one day alone.
UNO improved to 15-12 on the season, while UNK dropped to 11-17.
UNO 8, UNK 0 (5 inn.)
The Mavs made quick work of the Lopers in game one by winning via the eight-run rule after the top of the fifth inning. UNO opened with two runs in the first inning, then added three in the third and three in the fourth.
With
Tonya Peterson at third and
Lindsay Redding on second in the first inning, Hinton singled to left and advanced to second on the throw home that didn't beat Peterson.
Ashley Lynch later singled to left field to score Redding for a 2-0 lead.
The Mavs tacked on three more in the third.
Molly Negrete had an RBI single, and
Emma Wright hit an RBI groundout to make it 5-0.
Dana Elsasser took the win to improve to 8-6. Elsasser allowed just two hits, both coming in the fourth inning. The sophomore escaped a bases-loaded one-out jam by striking out the final two batters of the inning.
Redding scored on a passed ball in the fourth for a 6-0 advantage. Later, Lutmer stepped in and hit a bomb over the left field wall to score Hinton as well and make it 8-0.
Kirstie Hiatt (7-8) took the loss. Hiatt gave up five runs (two earned) on five hits through three innings pitched.
Lutmer finished 1-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Hinton and Lynch each went 2-for-2 with an RBI apiece. The four through eight batters for UNO combined to go 6-for-11 with five runs scored and six RBIs.
UNO 7, UNK 3
In game two, Lutmer smacked two home runs, while Hinton and Eeman each added one.
Kat Barrow picked up the win to improve to 5-4 on the season, throwing four innings while giving up four hits and three runs (one earned). Elsasser came on in a 4-3 game in the top of the sixth and closed out the game to earn her first save of the season.
UNK jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, but the Mavs gained control in the bottom of the third. The true freshman Eeman led off the inning with the first homer of her career to left center. Peterson followed with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Redding. After Hinton reached on a fielding error by the third baseman, Lutmer cranked one to left center for a 4-1 UNO lead.
UNK drew two runs back in the fifth and had runners on second and third with no outs in a 4-3 ballgame when Elsasser was called upon. Elsasser got Ali Seberger to ground to Negrete at third, who threw out Austin Wilson at home. Then Sarah Rome grounded out to shortstop, putting runners at second and third with two gone. Elsasser got Allie Frost to line out to Lynch at second to end the threat.
UNO regained separation in the fifth inning on back-to-back home runs by Hinton and Lutmer. Hinton's was a two-run shot with Larson on first, while Lutmer's was a solo blast that made it 7-3. Elsasser finished the game allowing no hits or walks while striking out three.
Lutmer went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs. She raised her home run total from two to a team-high five this season thanks to her breakout day. Hinton was 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs.
The Mavs host their first Division I game next week when South Dakota visits for a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday, April 4 at Westside Field at Westbrook.
