ORLANDO, Fla. – After a rainy Saturday cancelled all games during the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic, Omaha got the chance to face two nationally ranked opponents on Sunday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Omaha softball closed the tournament with a 1-3 mark for the weekend after dropping its Sunday games, an 8-0 defeat to #8 Georgia and a 7-0 defeat at the hands of #23 Notre Dame.
Omaha is 6-7 on the season and returns to the diamond next weekend at the Colorado State Classic in Fort Collins, Colo. The Mavericks open the tournament on Friday, March 6 against Valparaiso at 10:00 a.m. (CT) and Colorado State at 2:30 p.m. (CT). The next day, UNO is matched up against Drake at 10:00 a.m. (CT) and Valparaiso at 12:15 p.m. (CT). Omaha wraps up tournament play with a Sunday rematch against Colorado State at 12:15 p.m. (CT).
#8 Georgia 8, Omaha 0 (5 Innings)
In the first game of the day, Georgia pitcher Chelsea Wilkinson struck out seven Mavericks as she threw a perfect game.
Lizzie Noble (0-2) took the loss, throwing 3.0 innings with eight hits and three earned runs, two walks and a strikeout. Jaylee Hinrichs, Kat Barrow, and Carly Nielsen pitched the final two innings in relief. Hinrichs allowed one earned run with one hit and two walks. Barrow pitched 0.1 inning and allowed three earned runs on two hits. Nielsen pitched the final 0.2 innings allowing one hit and struck out one batter.
#23 Notre Dame 7, Omaha 0
Omaha put two runners on base in the first inning against Notre Dame. Lia Mancuso doubled to right field and Campbell Ditto was hit by a pitch. Notre Dame pitcher Rachel Nasland wriggled her way out of the inning by striking the next two batters.
Jaylee Hinrichs retired the first seven batters she faced before hitting a batter in the top of the third. The Fighting Irish would later take a 1-0 lead , but Hinrichs would keep the deficit at one. Notre Dame pushed across another run in the top of the fourth to make the score 2-0.
Following a Nicole Warren ground out to start the top of the fifth, Megan May singled to left field to give the Mavericks their first baserunner since the first inning. Nasland induced a pair of fly ball outs to strand the Maverick runner at first base.
The Fighting Irish tacked took advantage of a walk and a throwing error to increase their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fifth inning.
Allie Mathewson opened the top of the sixth inning with a walk and stole second, but the Irish pitcher again worked her way out of danger with a pair of strike outs and a ground out.
Notre Dame busted the game open with four runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Jaylee Hinrichs (3-2) took the loss, throwing 5.1 innings with five hits and four earned runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. Carly Nielsen allowed one earned run on three hits. Lizzie Noble retired the final two Irish batters, one by strikeout.
For the tournament, Mancuso hit a team-best .333 with two runs scored and a RBI. Ditto added a home run and four RBI. Hinrichs was 1-1 with a 4.28 ERA and struck out five batters.
