OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha softball team picked up a pair of Summit League wins against Fort Wayne on Saturday, taking the doubleheader 2-1 (8 inn.) and 8-0 (5 inn.) at Westside Field at Westbrook.
With the victories, the Mavericks improved to 14-13 overall and 2-0 in Summit League play. Fort Wayne fell to 0-22 overall and 0-2 in the Summit League.
The teams finish the series on Sunday with a game at 11:00 a.m.
Omaha 2, Fort Wayne 1 (8 innings)
The Mavs tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, before breaking the deadlock with a run in the bottom of the eighth for the 2-1 win. Kat Barrow (6-4) allowed just three hits and an unearned run with two walks and six strikeouts.
Fort Wayne broke a 0-0 tie in the top of the fourth inning. The Mastodons took advantage of a double, followed by an error and a walk to load the bases. Catcher Whitney Ennis drew a two-out walk to give IPFW the lead, 1-0.
Omaha broke through in the bottom of the seventh inning. Tonya Peterson opened the inning with a triple down the left field line. Following a fly out to shallow center field, Kelly Pattison lined a single to left to tie the game, 1-1.
Sydney Hames opened the bottom of the eighth with a walk. Nicole Warren reached base on an error by the Fort Wayne third baseman to put two Mavs on base. Tara Trede put down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third with one out. Senior Allie Mathewson laced a single to center field to score the winning run.
Omaha had five hits on the day – four of them singles. Pattison went 1-for-3 with an RBI, while Mathewson went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Peterson went 1-for-3 with the lone extra base hit for Omaha. Lia Mancuso and Lizzie Noble each went 1-for-3.
Omaha 8, Fort Wayne 0 (5 innings)
Omaha wasted no time in getting on the score board in game two, blasting IPFW pitcher Sarah Lazarowich for two runs in the first inning, one in the second, and three in the third to build a 6-0 lead. The Mavericks ended the game by tacking on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Lizzie Noble put the Mavs on the score board with a two-run single in the first inning. Omaha loaded the bases in the bottom of the second with two outs. Catcher Campbell Ditto drew a walk to allow Nicole Warren to cross the plate and increase the Omaha lead, 3-0.
The Mavs were at it again in the third inning. After Hames was hit by a pitch, Warren launched a homerun to left field to tack on two more runs for Omaha. Mathewson and Mancuso kept the inning going with back-to-back singles with two outs. Peterson singled to right field to bring Mathewson home and increase the Omaha lead, 6-0.
Omaha tacked on two runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game by run rule. Carly Nielsen opened the fifth inning with a double to center field. Mathewson followed with a double to left that allowed Nielsen to cross home plate. Mancuso looped a double over the left fielder's head to give Omaha runners on second and third with no outs. Peterson singled to left to drive in Mathewson and end the game.
Warren was 2-for-3 with a homerun and 2 RBIs to lead the Mavericks. Peterson added a 2-for-3 effort at the plate with two RBIs. Mathewson was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Mancuso went 3-for-3 with a run scored.
UNO freshman pitcher Jaylee Hinrichs (6-4) allowed one hit and no runs over five innings of work with two walks and seven strikeouts.
