Box Score
OMAHA, Neb. - Megg Kelly hit a two-run double in the top of the seventh inning, and Western Illinois rallied for a 4-3 win over the UNO softball team on Sunday at Westside Field at Westbrook.
The Mavericks took a 3-2 lead into the top of the seventh inning in search of their eighth straight win and third straight Summit League sweep, but Western Illinois had other ideas.
Karissa Kouchis reached on an error to begin the inning, and Sammy Marshall singled up the middle off the outstretched glove of
Tara Trede to put runners at first and second. Briana Williams grounded out to Trede to put runners at second and third with one out, and Kelly delivered the big hit into the corner in left field for a 4-3 lead.
The top of the Mavs' order went down in order in the bottom of the seventh, as the Mavs fell to 34-6 overall and 12-2 in The Summit League and lost for the first time in nine home games this season. The Leathernecks improved to 14-21 overall and 8-14 in league play.
The Mavs tallied two runs in the bottom of the second for a 2-0 lead.
Amber Lutmer drew a four-pitch walk and moved to second on a groundout by
Molly Negrete.
Sydney Hames laced a single to center field and Lutmer slid into home plate in time as the throw home sailed over the catcher. Hames took second on the throw home and later advanced to third on an error by the second baseman that allowed
Mara Eeman to board first.
Lindsay Redding produced an infield single to score Hames from third, but the inning ended with Eeman caught in a rundown between second and third.
The Leathernecks got on the board in the top of the fourth when Lia Romeo doubled down the right field line to score Kelly from second. Kelly had been hit by a pitch and took second on a groundout by Alex Pflieger.
The Mavs got out of a one-out bases loaded jam in the top of the fifth and then gained some breathing room with a towering solo home run by
Allie Mathewson in the bottom of the fifth inning for a 3-1 lead. It was Mathewson's 11th home run of the season.
Western Illinois chipped into the lead once again with an RBI single to right field by Teagan Walsh in the top of the sixth to score pinch runner Bria Jones. But the damage could have been worse if not for a prior defensive gem by
Tonya Peterson. With runners on first and second and no outs, Peterson fielded a grounder and tagged Ryleigh Sears on her way to third and threw to first to beat Monica Rondon for a double play.
But the Leathernecks came up with two runs in their final at bat to steal the win. The Mavs totaled just six hits on the day with Mathewson's homer and
Campbell Ditto's double the only extra-base hits. Lutmer extended her reached base streak to 30 games with a walk.
Dana Elsasser (20-6) allowed two earned runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and no walks, but she did hit three batters. The Leathernecks' run in the top of the fourth inning ended Elsasser's consecutive shutout streak at 32.1 innings. WIU's Kelsey Michelini (8-11) picked up the victory, tossing 7.0 innings with two earned runs, two walks and five strikeouts.
UNO finishes its home schedule on Wednesday with a non-conference doubleheader against Drake at 5 p.m.
