Box Score EMERSON, Ga. -- The Omaha baseball team rallied from an early 2-0 deficit Friday, storming back to defeat Iowa 3-2 at the Perfect Game Spring Swing at the Perfect Game Complex. With the win, the Mavericks improve to 8-7 (0-0 Summit League), while the Hawkeyes drop to 4-7 (0-0 Big Ten).
Senior right-hander
Tyler Fox (3-1) went 7.0 innings to earn the win, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk with a season-high eight strikeouts. The loss went to C.J. Eldred (1-1), who gave up three runs on 10 hits with no walks and five strikeouts. Sophomore right-hander
Ryan Cate also picked up his third save of the season.
Senior
Collin Leif was 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI, while sophomore
Adam Caniglia finished 2-for-3 and scored twice. Senior
Cole Gruber had another multi-hit effort, going 2-for-4 and scoring once.
The Hawkeyes got on the board early, as Nick Roscetti's two-run homer in the top of the first pushed them out front, 2-0.
Iowa's lead held until the bottom of the fifth, when Omaha got one run back. Caniglia led off with a single up the middle, and Herold singled to center two batters later to put two runners on base. Leif then singled through the right side to drive in Caniglia, cutting Iowa's lead to 2-1.
In the sixth, the Mavericks tied it up with a run on two hits. Gruber led off with a single to center, went to second on Taylor's sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Cate's RBI single to left then drove in Gruber, knotting it at 2-2.
Omaha finally took the lead in the seventh. Caniglia singled up the middle to start, advanced to second on sacrifice bunt by Palensky, then scored the go-ahead run via Leif's RBI triple to right for a 3-2 edge.
In the top of the ninth, the Hawkeyes put two runners on with a one-out walk and a two-out single, but a groundout got Omaha out of the jam and secured the come-from-behind win.
Omaha returns to action on Saturday, March 12 for a pair of games at the Perfect Game Spring Swing in Emerson, Ga. The Mavericks face Presbyterian at 1:30 p.m. (CT), followed by Bowling Green at 5:30 p.m. (CT).
