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OMAHA, Neb. – The UNO baseball team opened a four-game series with future Summit League peer North Dakota State on Friday, falling 7-4 at the Ballpark at Boys Town. With the loss, the Mavericks are now 9-20 on the year, while NDSU improves to 20-5.

Senior Brady Hohl finished 2-for-5 at the plate, stretching his team-leading hitting streak to 21 games. Sophomore Caleb Palensky scored twice for the Mavs, while senior Scotty Donner and junior Connor McCrite each tallied a hit and drove in a run apiece.

NDSU's Tyler Steen went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Zach Wentz added a 2-for-5 effort with another run driven in.

John Straka (4-2) earned the win, allowing four runs – two earned – on five hits. He fanned nine UNO batters and walked two over eight innings of work. The loss went to reliever Derek Landis (0-2), who gave up four runs – one earned – on four hits with one strikeout and one walk over two innings. Kyle Kingsley also earned his third save of the year, surrendering one hit in the final inning of play.

NDSU scored first in the third inning, then extended its lead to 2-0 in the fourth. The Mavericks came back for one run in the bottom of the frame, when Donner reached on a throwing error that allowed freshman Alex Mortensen to score.

In the fifth, the Bison plated one run, as Max Casper led off with a double to left center and came in on Nick Colwell's RBI double to the same place to make it 3-1.

Nebraska Omaha tied the ballgame with two scores in the sixth. Senior Mark Waldron started it off with a double to right center, and Palensky drew a walk, with both runners moving into scoring position on Mortensen's sacrifice bunt. Waldron was then driven in by McCrite, and Palensky came across with Donner's RBI single through the left side, knotting it at 3-3.

North Dakota State chipped in two more runs in both the eighth and ninth innings. Between the two frames, the Bison totaled four hits and capitalized on four Maverick errors, bringing the final score to 7-4.

UNO returns to action on Saturday, April 7, hosting North Dakota State in a doubleheader at Werner Park. First pitch is set for 10 a.m., and Senior Day presentations will be held between games to honor UNO's nine seniors.