UNO 6, Evansville 5
UNO 5, Jackson State 0
JACKSON, Miss. - The UNO softball team began the Jackson State Tournament with a 6-5 win over Evansville and a 5-0 victory over Jackson State on Saturday.
The Mavs improved to 11-1 on the season and wrap up play at the tournament with a doubleheader against Evansville on Sunday at 10 a.m.
UNO 6, Evansville 5
The Mavs scored twice in the bottom of the first on RBI singles by
Amber Lutmer and
Molly Negrete for a quick 2-0 lead. Freshman
Kayla Wyatt started the first game of her career in the circle, and the Purple Aces scored twice on her in the top of the second inning to knot the game at 2-2.
Omaha answered with two more runs in the second inning off of a solo home run by
Tonya Peterson, the first of her career, and an RBI single by
Allie Mathewson after
Tara Trede singled and stole both second and third. But Evansville made it 4-4 after a two-run homer, and
Ashton Hughes came on to replace Wyatt, who completed 2.0 innings with four runs allowed, only three earned, on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts.
Hughes shut down the Purple Aces, keeping them from adding to their run total until the sixth inning. Meanwhile, the Mavs made it 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth when
Lindsay Redding singled home Trede. UNO extended the lead to 6-4 later in the inning when Lutmer hit a fielder's choice and after an error by the shortstop, Mathewson scored from second.
Hughes pitched one out in the sixth before giving up a single, paving the way for
Dana Elsasser to come into the game. Evansville brought the runner around to make it 6-5, but Elsasser got out of the inning with a strikeout. She finished off the save in the top of the seventh by striking out all three batters she faced.
Hughes (1-0) recorded the win, completing 3.1 innings with three hits, one earned run, one walk and one strikeout. Mathewson was 3-for-4 with a run and RBI. Redding was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI. Trede also had two hits, scored twice and tied the school record with three stolen bases in one game. The Mavs had 10 hits in the game with the only extra-base hit the solo home run by Peterson.
UNO 5, Jackson State 0
Elsasser pitched a complete-game two-hitter and the Mavs were in control from the beginning against host Jackson State.
Campbell Ditto hit a solo home run in the top of the first to make it 1-0. Mathewson opened the third inning with a double, and after Redding singled and stole second, Mathewson scored on a sacrifice fly by Lutmer.
The Mavs broke it open with three runs in the seventh. With two outs and Mathewson on second, Lutmer walked, and Negrete doubled them both home. Peterson then singled home Negrete for a 5-2 lead.
The Tigers got just one hit in the fifth and one hit in the seventh off of Elsasser, who walked none and struck out six. Elsasser is now 7-1 on the season with a 0.64 ERA.
Peterson finished 2-for-3 with one RBI. Mathewson scored twice and was one of three Mavs with a double on the day, as Negrete and
Mara Eeman also hit for two bases. Ditto's homer was the third of her freshman season.
