ST. GEORGE, Utah - The Omaha softball team defeated Utah Valley, 4-0, before falling to Southern Utah, 5-1, on day two of the Red Desert Classic on Saturday.
The Mavericks are 2-1 now to begin the season with two games remaining at the tournament on Sunday. The Mavs face Idaho State at Noon (CT), then finish with Utah State at 2:30 p.m. (CT).
Omaha 4, Utah Valley 0Dana Elsasser (2-0) pitched a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and two walks. She has yet to allow a run in 14.0 innings pitched so far and has allowed just five hits.
The Mavs broke the scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the third inning.
Allie Mathewson walked home with the bases loaded for the game's first run.
Sydney Hames then singled to center field to score
Amber Lutmer and
Campbell Ditto for a 3-0 UNO lead.
Ditto laced a double to left field to score
Lia Mancuso for the Mavs' fourth run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Mavs posted only five hits but drew eight walks and a hit by pitch. Hames was 1-for-2 with her two-run double, and Ditto was 1-for-2 with a run scored and RBI.
Mara Eeman was 1-for-1 with a double and an RBI.
Utah Valley fell to 0-2 at the classic.
Southern Utah 5, Omaha 1The Mavs were dealt their first loss of the season, as the Thunderbirds scored five runs through five innings to chase pitcher
Kat Barrow (0-1) from the game with 4.2 innings pitched, 10 hits and five earned runs. It was Barrow's first game since March 2013 after an injury ended her season.
Ditto helped the Mavs avoid the shutout with a solo home run, her second of the season, in the top of the sixth inning. Mathewson was 2-for-2 with a stolen base.
Madison Resley was 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI to lead SUU. Kylee Wolf was 3-for-3 with two runs. Kadi Henderson was for 2-for-3 with a run and RBI. The Thunderbirds scored one run in the bottom of the first, then added one in the bottom of the third for a 2-0 lead. Southern Utah (1-4) widened the gap with three runs in the fifth. for the 5-0 lead.
Cheyenne Baxter relieved Barrow with two outs gone in the fifth inning and pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing no hits with a walk and a strikeout.
