KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Omaha softball team went 1-1 on day two of the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic in Kissimmee, Fla. The Mavericks opened the day with a 2-0 win over Elon, before dropping game two in five innings to No. 1 Florida, 9-0.
The Mavs are 4-5 on the season and will wrap up tournament play on Sunday against the College of Charleston at 9 a.m. (CT).
Game One: Elon (W, 2-0)
Freshman Laura Roecker tossed the best game of her brief collegiate career, striking out four and limiting Elon to five singles.
Roecker was masterful in the circle to win her second start of the season. She walked three batters over seven innings. Roecker held the Phoenix hitless over the first four innings and had a 1-2-3 inning to end the game.
Nicole Warren led off the game with a triple to right field and came into score on Kelly Pattison's infield single.
Elon put two runners in scoring position in the fifth, but Roecker got the Phoenix to pop out to end the inning.
The Mavericks added an insurance run as Sydney Hames hit a solo home run to lead off the sixth inning.
Roecker preserved the two-run lead in the bottom of the six when she worked her way out of a jam. After a lead-off single, the freshman recorded two outs before allowing another Phoenix hit. Roecker went on to strike out the next batter to end the Elon threat.
UNO put the first two batters of the seventh on base. Kylie Schwarting was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Lia Mancuso reached on a bunt single. Both runners moved up a base on a passed ball. Elon's Kayla Caruso settled down and was able to work her way out of the trouble to end the inning.
Roecker pitched a perfect 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh to pick up the win.
Mancuso led Omaha with a pair of singles and a stolen base. Hames was 1-for-3 at the plate with a home run and an RBI. Warren was 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored. Noble and Pattison each had singles for the Mavericks.
Game Two: No. 1 Florida (L, 9-0 – 5 innings)
No. 1 Florida jumped to an early lead after scoring three runs off three hits and one Omaha error in the bottom of the first. The Mavericks defense recovered in the next two innings stranding four Gators to keep Florida off the board.
UF starter Delanie Gourley struck out five UNO batters through the first three innings.
Florida tacked on two runs in the fourth on one hit and four runs in the fifth.
Lizzie Noble opened the bottom of the fifth with a single to right field, but Gourley retired the next three batters to secure a Florida victory in five innings.
Noble started the game in the circle for Omaha and took the loss. She tossed 3.0 innings allowing five runs on five hits with one strikeout and six walks. Abbie Clanton pitched the final 2.0 innings allowing four runs on two hits and six walks.
