ST. GEORGE, Utah - The Omaha softball team began the 2014 season at the Red Desert Classic just the way it had hoped: with a milestone victory.
The Mavericks posted a 7-0 shutout win over Weber State Friday in the season opener to give Head Coach
Jeanne Scarpello her 600th career win. The Mavericks (1-0) scored all seven runs through the first four innings, and that was plenty for
Dana Elsasser to earn her first victory of the season with a two-hit shutout.
Amber Lutmer smacked a two-run homer in the first inning to plate
Allie Mathewson for a 2-0 Omaha lead.
Campbell Ditto followed with a solo shot in the third inning to make it 3-0.
The Mavs added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded,
Lia Mancuso scored from third on a fielder's choice by
Tara Trede that Weber State pitcher Morgan Allaband threw away errantly, allowing pinch-runner
Megan Stegman to score as well. Trede and Mathewson later scored via another throwing error by the Wildcats for a 7-0 lead.
Elsasser struck out nine and walked just one in her two-hitter. Mathewson was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Lutmer was 1-for-3 with her two-run homer, while Ditto was 1-for-4 with her first dinger of the season.
Sydney Hames was 2-for-3, and Mancuso was 1-for-1 with a run scored and a walk in her first collegiate game.
Weber State (1-2) had already posted a 4-3 victory over BYU on Thursday and lost to Texas-Arlington, 3-1 (8 inn.) earlier Friday.
The Mavs resume action on Saturday with a doubleheader. UNO faces Utah Valley at 2:30 p.m. (CT), then takes on Southern Utah at 5 p.m. (CT). Live stats should be available for both games at OMavs.com.