ORLANDO, Fla. – The Omaha softball team split its first two games at the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic II at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Friday. The Mavericks opened the tournament by dropping a 6-5 decision to Lehigh, before rebounding with a 7-4 win over Georgetown.
The Mavericks (6-5) continue play on Saturday against Penn State at 10:00 a.m. (CT) and 11th rated Minnesota at 2:30 p.m. (CT).
Lehigh 6, Omaha 5
Lizzie Noble got things going for the Mavericks in the top of the second inning. Following a Sydney Hames infield hit, Noble crushed a pitch over the left field fall to give the Mavs a 2-0 lead.
Kelly Pattison and Tara Trede hit back-to-back singles to put runners in scoring position with no outs. Allie Mathewson reached base following an error by the Mountain Hawks' pitcher, which allowed Pattison to score. Trede came home on a passed ball. A Lia Mancuso single to right field brought Mathewson around and put the Mavs up 5-0.
Lehigh answered with two runs in the top of the third and a single run in the fourth to cut into the Omaha lead. The Mountain Hawks tied things up with a pair of runs in the fifth inning, before taking the lead, 6-5, with a run in the sixth.
Lehigh pitcher Emily Bausher retired the final ten batters she faced, including five via strikeout to cement the come-from-behind win.
Trede led the Mavs with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate. Noble went 1-for-3 with a two-run homerun.
Kat Barrow pitched 4.0 innings allowing seven hits and four earned runs with two strikeouts. Carly Nielsen (0-1) took the loss in relief. Nielsen pitched 2.0 innings allowing one run on three hits and walking one batter. Noble finished the game for Omaha by pitching a perfect seventh inning.
Omaha 7, Georgetown 4
A Campbell Ditto grand slam in the fifth inning led Omaha to a 7-5 win over Big East foe Georgetown.
Omaha got on the board in the top of the first inning when a Tonya Peterson single drove home Allie Mathewson and Lia Mancuso. Georgetown took advantage of a Maverick error in the bottom of the first inning to cut the lead to 2-1. The Hoyas used three hits in the bottom of the second to tie the game at 2-2.
Omaha strung together four straight hits in the top of the fifth, including Ditto's home run to take a 6-2 lead. Mathewson drove in Lizzie Noble with a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth.
Georgetown scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the score to 7-4, but could get no closer.
Ditto and Peterson combined to drive in six of the Mavericks seven runs on the afternoon. Ditto was 1-for-4 at the plate with a grand slam home run, while Peterson was 1-for-4 with two RBI. Mancuso, Mathewson, and Noble each had two hits.
Freshman pitcher Jaylee Hinrichs (3-1) pitched a complete game allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking out two.
