Box Score OMAHA, Neb. – It was a wild day at the Ballpark at Boys Town Friday, as two nine-run innings were part of the Omaha baseball team's 20-14 win over North Dakota State. With the victory, the Mavericks improved to 11-8 (4-0 Summit League), while the Bison, defending conference tournament champions, dropped to 5-12 (1-3 Summit League).

Junior Tyler Fox (3-1) earned the win, throwing 5.0 innings and allowing two runs on six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. NDSU starter David Ernst took the loss, allowing 10 runs (eight earned) on six hits and five walks in 2.1 innings pitched. Senior Cole Volkers recorded his third save of the year, allowing three hits over 1.2 scoreless innings with no walks and two strikeouts.

Junior Clayton Taylor led Omaha's offensive attack, finishing 4-for-5 with four runs scored, five more driven in and a walk. The Mount Michael product hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season.

Junior Alex Schultz also had a multi-hit day at 2-for-4 with two runs, and junior Alex Mortensen was 2-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI. Junior Cole Patterson also finished 2-for-2, scoring once and driving in another run, and freshman Jack Wilson hit the first home run of his career to finish 1-for-1.

Omaha scored in bunches, starting off with three runs on one hit and two NDSU errors in the bottom of the first inning. Schultz led off by reaching on a throwing error, then stole second and scored on an RBI single by Taylor. Gruber, who got on with a walk, came in on a sacrifice fly to center by Mortensen, and Taylor scored two batters later when Cate reached on another Bison error for a quick 3-0 lead.

The Mavericks exploded for a nine-run, five-hit inning in the third, opening with Taylor's solo homer to right. Ernst then issued four straight walks to senior Justin Threlkeld, redshirt freshman Ryan Cate, senior Jewett and Patterson, the last of which scored Threlkeld. With one out, junior Collin Leif put a two-RBI single up the middle that scored Jewett and Cate, pushing the lead to 8-0. Schultz then singled to right to load the bases again, prompting an NDSU pitching change. Junior Cole Gruber promptly drew a walk to bring in Patterson, and Taylor came up for a second time, sending a two-run double to right that crossed Schultz and Leif. Mortensen followed with another two-run double – this one scoring Taylor and Gruber – bringing the tally to 12-0.

NDSU got on the board in the fourth with a pair of runs on three hits. One-out singles to left by John Skrbec and Danny Regan put two on, and two batters later, Jayse McLean dropped a two-out, two-run single into center to make it 12-2.

UNO added two more runs in the sixth with one hit and an NDSU error. Wilson and freshman Jake Cockle drew consecutive walks and Volkers singled through the left side, loading the bases with two outs. Gruber and Taylor then earned consecutive walks of their own, with each bringing in a run to extend Omaha's lead to 14-2.

The Bison came back for three runs in the sixth. Paul Funk and Taylor Sanders both singled with one out and Andy Wicklund walked, loading the bases for JT Core. He sent a three-run double to right center, clearing the bases and trimming the score to 14-5.

With two outs in the seventh, Wilson swatted a two-run homer to right – the first of his career – spotting the Mavericks a commanding 16-5 lead.

North Dakota State, however, would not go quietly, as the Bison pieced together their own nine-run inning in the eighth, posting six hits and capitalizing a Maverick miscue. Danny Palmiscno led off with a double down the left field line, and McLean walked, followed by Aiden Hook's two-run triple to center that made it 16-7. Funk was then hit by a pitch and Sanders reached on a fielding error, which allowed Hook to score. Wicklund's single to right center put runners on all bags, and JD Larimer doubled down the left field line to score two runs. Following a pitching change, Luke Lind walked and Wicklund scored on a wild pitch. After another change on the mound, McLean's RBI groundout scored Larimer, then Hook, coming up to hit again, put a two-run single in right center that plated Palmiscno and Lind and brought the score to 16-14.

The Mavericks did their final offensive damage in the eighth, using five hits to score four runs. Volkers led off with a walk, and Gruber and Taylor both singled to load the bases with no outs. An RBI single to center from Mortensen drove in Volkers, and sophomore Mark Handberg's RBI single to the same spot pushed in Gruber. Taylor then scored on a double play, and Jewett's two-out single to left drove in Mortensen for the final score of 20-14.

Omaha and North Dakota State continue their conference series on Saturday, March 20, with first pitch at 1 p.m. Links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.

NOTES
-Omaha and North Dakota State combined for 34 runs on 32 hits, 18 walks and four errors.
-NDSU's 12 walks allowed was the most by an opposing staff this season.
-Omaha last scored at least 20 runs in a game on April 22, 2011, with 26 against Fort Hays State.