Tournament Central
Box Score

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas - The UNO softball team staved off the end of its season with a come-from-behind 4-2 win over North Dakota in 10 innings in a Great West Conference Softball Tournament elimination game at Oran Good Park Sunday afternoon.

Amber Lutmer hit a bases-loaded single up the middle to score Mara Eeman and Tonya Peterson in the top of the 10th inning for the game-winning runs.

The win means the Mavs (24-17) will face Utah Valley in another elimination game Monday morning at 10 a.m. UNO was forced to work its way out of the losers' bracket after falling to Houston Baptist, 3-1, earlier Sunday. North Dakota finished its season with a 17-28 record. Houston Baptist went 2-0 on Sunday and is in the championship game.

Against North Dakota, UNO took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning without recording a hit. Lutmer drew a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Lindsay Gilliland, who took second and third on consecutive wild pitches. Katelyn Hinton then walked and stole second base, which forced an error by catcher Courtney Gonzales, allowing Gilliland to score from third.

North Dakota promptly scored two runs in the bottom of the second though to take a 2-1 lead. Amanda Johnson doubled to get things started, and Gonzales moved her to third on a groundout. D Jantzer doubled home Johnson, and then Taylor Donnelly doubled to score Jantzer. That marked the end of the day for Maverick ace Dana Elsasser. With the Mavs in a must-win position after losing to Houston Baptist, Elsasser started her second game of the day and pitched 1.1 innings before being replaced by freshman Kat Barrow. After Barrow surrendered a double to Cami Bennett to put runners on second and third, she got a strikeout and groundout to end the threat.

But the Mavs fought back in the sixth inning to tie the game, as Lutmer's RBI double to right field with two outs scored Peterson from second. Peterson had led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lindsay Redding.

Barrow escaped a jam in the bottom of the seventh inning when runners reached first and second with one out. Barrow got the next two batters to fly out to send the game to extra innings.

The score remained 2-2 until the 10th inning. Eeman laced a one-out single to left field and moved to third after two wild pitches. Peterson walked and Redding followed with an infield single to load the bases for Lutmer, who ripped the game-winning single to centerfield to score Eeman and Peterson. In the bottom half, Barrow retired the Fighting Sioux in order to cap the win.

Barrow (9-6) pitched 8.2 shutout innings of relief and allowed seven hits to pick up the win. Michelle Frank (9-15) took the loss after entering the game in the eighth inning.

Lutmer finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs while celebrating her birthday in grand fashion. Redding was 2-for-4 and Peterson scored two runs.