AUBURN, Ala. - The Omaha softball team posted a sweep on the final day of the Tiger Invitational. The Mavericks blew past Loyola Chicago, 9-2, then fought to an 11-7 win in eight innings against Western Illinois in the finale.
The Mavericks went 3-1 at the tournament with the only loss to host Auburn. UNO is now 6-3 on the season heading into the UTSA Tournament next week in San Antonio.
Omaha 9, Loyola Chicago 2
Freshman Lizzie Noble went 3-for-4 with four RBI and her first career home run, and Allie Mathewson went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs to pace the Maverick attack.
Dana Elsasser (4-1) pitched a complete-game two-hitter and allowed two earned runs with 10 strikeouts and no walks.
The Mavs scored a run in each of the first three innings to jump in front, 3-0. Amber Lutmer and Campbell Ditto each hit sacrifice flies in the first and second innings, respectively. Noble added a solo home run in the third inning.
But Loyola (3-6) cut it to 3-2 on a two-run homer in the top of the fourth. However, the Mavs answered with a five-spot in the bottom of the fourth to go up 8-2. Ditto doubled home Tara Trede and Mathewson. Later, Noble singled to right field to score Ditto and Sydney Hames. Nicole Warren singled home Tonya Peterson before the inning was over to give the Mavs a six-run cushion.
UNO tacked on one more in the sixth thanks to a double by Noble down the left field line to score Hames, who had singled to lead off the inning.
Omaha 11, Western Illinois 7 (8 inn.)
Amber Lutmer extended her 42-game reached base streak in dramatic fashion, smashing a grand slam in the eighth inning to help UNO to an 11-7 win in a non-conference game against league foe Western Illinois.
Allie Mathewson led off the game with a home run, and Sydney Hames had an RBI single followed by an error in left field to allow Campbell Ditto to score for an early 3-0 lead. But the Leathernecks got to freshman pitcher Cheyenne Baxter early, forcing Kat Barrow into the game in the bottom of the first inning.
The Leathernecks scored two in the first and three in the second to go up 5-3. But the Mavs came right back with a three-run third inning to make it 6-5. Hames singled, and Tonya Peterson doubled to set up Lizzie Noble's RBI single to score Hames. After a pitching change, Peterson scored on a wild pitch, and Mara Eeman doubled home Noble. The Mavs were unable to add to the lead when Eeman was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on Mathewson's double to right center.
An error in the Maverick infield allowed WIU to tie the game, 6-6, in the bottom of the fourth. That was the final run for either team until extra innings. With Trede placed on second, Mathewson singled and advanced to second on an error, allowing Trede to reach third. Lia Mancuso produced a single up the middle to score Trede for a 7-6 lead. After Ditto walked to load the bases, Lutmer hit a grand slam to left field to make it 11-7 and keep alive her 42-game streak of reaching safely at least once.
Barrow walked home one run in the bottom of the eighth, but finished out the win to improve to 1-2 on the season. She went 7.2 innings in relief and allowed three earned runs on seven hits, four walks with seven strikeouts.
Noble went 3-for-4 with a run and RBI to finish the day 6-for-8 with five RBI and two runs. Mathewson was also 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI and for the tournament went 9-for-16 (.563) with four RBI, six runs, two homers and two doubles.
