MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The day after dropping two games at the ASU Hornet Tournament, the Omaha softball team rebounded with two convincing wins on Saturday afternoon. UNO opened the day with a 13-2 win in five innings over Howard. Later in the day, the Mavericks blanked the tournament host Alabama State 7-0.
Omaha is 6-8 on the season and will play one game on Sunday morning. The Mavs play Gardner-Webb at 11 a.m. before heading home.
Game One: Omaha 13 Howard 2 (5 innings)
In the opening game of the day, Omaha scored in every inning as it defeated Howard 13-2 in five innings.
The Mavericks struck first with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Kelly Pattison drew a one-out walk and then stole second. Sydney Hames lined a double to center field allowing Pattison to score.
Howard took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second as the Bison had two hits and took advantage of two Maverick errors.
UNO would not trail for long as Tara Trede worked a one out walk in the bottom of the second. Alexis Parker laced a triple to left field bringing in Trede to tie the game 2-2. Nicole Warren tripled to left center to score Parker. Pattison singled up the middle scoring Warren. After two innings, Omaha led 4-2.
The big inning for the Mavs came in the third as they put six runs on the board on five hits. Omaha's first five batters reached base. Campbell Ditto started things off with a single down the left field line. Bailey Schulenberg singled to center and Megan may walked to load the bases. Trede doubled to left center to drive in two. Parker walked and moved to second on a passed ball before Howard retired the next two Omaha batters. Pattison drew a two-out walk and a Bison wild pitch allowed Parker to score and Pattison advanced to second. Hames singled to left field and moved to second as Pattison crossed home plate. Starting pitcher Lizzie Noble made it a 10-2 game with a double down the left field line.
Schulenberg opened the fourth with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Parker hit a two-out single up the middle to bring home Schulenberg. The Mavericks loaded the bases as Warren reached on a fielding error and Pattison reached on an infield single. Kourtney Pock pinch hit for Hames and made an immediate impact. Pock singled to left field moving Pattison to second and scoring Warren and Parker.
Noble pitched a 1-2-3 top of the fifth inning allowing Omaha to end the game early due to the run rule.
Nine different Mavericks had hits in the opener. Hames, Parker, and Pattison each were 2-for-2 at the plate. Hames had a double and a single to go with a run scored and two RBI. Parker reached base three times with a triple, single and a walk. She had two RBI and scored three runs. Pattison had a pair of singles and a stolen base to go along with two runs scored and an RBI.
Noble pitched a complete game for the Mavericks going five innings and earning her first win of the year. She allowed two unearned runs on two hits with two strike outs.
Game 2: Omaha 7 Alabama State 0
Omaha's bats continued to be hot in the night cap as the Mavericks put seven runs on the board on nine hits.
Bailey Schulenberg reached on a one-out single up the middle. Schulenberrg advanced to second as Megan May reached on a fielder's choice. Alexis Parker worked a two-out walk to load the bases. Nicole Warren cleared the bases with a grand slam home run to left field.
Campbell Ditto belted her second home run of the season to lead off the sixth to put Omaha up 5-0.
The Mavericks put the game out of reach with two more runs in the top of the seventh. Sydney Hames opened the inning with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. The Hornets were able to retire the next two Mav batters, before Schulenberg walked. May hit a two out double to left center to make the final 7-0.
Freshman pitcher Laura Roecker picked up her third win of the season by pitching a complete game allowing only two hits and striking out five.
