KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Omaha softball team split its first two games at the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Friday. The Mavericks opened the tournament with their eighth straight win, 4-1 over Maryland, but fell in game two, 2-0 to Syracuse.
The Mavericks (12-4) continue play on Saturday against Fordham at 2:30 p.m. (CT) and Illinois State at 4:45 p.m. (CT).
Omaha 4, Maryland 1Amber Lutmer picked up where she left off last weekend, crushing two more homers to bring her season total to nine and lead the Mavs to the victory.
Tonya Peterson got things started with an RBI single to score pinch-runner
Megan Stegman for a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Lutmer led off the fourth with a solo home run to make it 2-0.
The Terrapins (1-15) cut it to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth, but Lutmer added a two-run bomb in the fifth inning with
Lia Mancuso on base via a single to make it 4-1.
Dana Elsasser (9-1) pitched the complete game, giving up just four hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.
With her two homers, Lutmer moved her career total to 43, within one of school-record holder Leslie Svoboda.
Syracuse 2, Omaha 0The Mavericks couldn't come up with timely hits against the Orange, leaving eight runners on base in the game and at least one runner in every inning except for the second.
Syracuse pitcher Sydney O'Hara shut out the Mavs, tossing 7.0 innings with 10 strikeouts and two walks while allowing six UNO hits.
Allie Mathewson went 3-for-4 with a triple, and
Campbell Ditto was 2-for-3 with a double.
Tara Trede had the other hit.
Maverick freshman
Lizzie Noble (1-1) was solid in her own right, throwing a complete game with six hits, three strikeouts, five walks and two earned runs.
Mathewson led off the bottom of the first with a triple but was stranded after three Maverick strikeouts.
The Orange (5-6) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. After two walks and a sacrifice bunt, Riley Johnson recorded an RBI single up the middle.
Things looked promising for the Mavs to at least tie the game in the bottom of the fourth when Ditto singled and
Amber Lutmer walked with no outs. They moved to second and third with one out after a sacrifice bunt by Noble. But a flyout and strikeout left them both on base.
Syracuse then added another run in the top of the fifth to go up 2-0.
In the sixth, Ditto doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch with no outs. Noble walked to put runners on the corners with one out, but two more flyouts ended the Mavs' threat.
