Box Score PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The Omaha baseball team played its first game of the GCU Classic on Friday afternoon, falling 6-1 to Bradley at Brazell Stadium. The Mavericks are now 0-1 (0-0 Summit League) on the year, while the Braves jump to 1-0 (0-0 MVC).
On the mound, the win went to BU starter Elliot Ashbeck (1-0), who threw 5.2 innings and allowed one run on four hits, all singles. Ashbeck struck out three and walked two for the afternoon. Cameron Roegner (1) earned the save with 3.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out four.
The loss went to junior right-handed pitcher
Tyler Fox (0-1), who gave up two runs on five hits. Fox threw 4.0 innings and struck out three while issuing four walks.
Junior first baseman
Alex Schultz and senior leftfielder
Justin Threlkeld each had two hits to lead Omaha at the plate, with Threlkeld 2-for-2 and Schultz 2-for-3. Junior designated hitter
Alex Mortensen, making his first appearance since 2013 after redshirting last season, was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Junior rightfielder
Cole Gruber also tallied a hit and scored the Mavericks' only run of the game.
Spencer Gaa sparked Bradley, driving in five runs with a 2-for-4 plate effort, including his first home run of the year.
Omaha faced an early deficit, as Bradley's Chris Godinez homered to left in the third inning to go up 1-0. The lead was stretched to 2-0 after the Braves plated another run in the fourth.
Gruber led off the sixth inning for UNO with a single to center, then stole second and advanced to third on a groundout by junior infielder
Clayton Taylor. Mortensen's groundout to second pushed Gruber across, cutting BU's advantage to 2-1.
The Braves, however, answered swiftly, as Gaa came up with a three-run homer to left center in the bottom half of the inning to make it 5-1. Bradley added one more run in the eighth as Godinez scored on Gaa's RBI double to center, finishing it off at 6-1.
Omaha returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 14, facing host Grand Canyon at 7 p.m. (CT) at Brazell Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz. Live stats will be linked on OMavs.com.
