Box Score OMAHA, Neb. -- The Omaha baseball team opened Summit League play Friday afternoon, defeating Fort Wayne 14-7 at the Ballpark at Boys Town. With the win, the Mavericks improve to 10-9 (1-0 Summit League) on the year, while the Mastodons drop to 9-9 (0-1 Summit League).

Omaha put together its 10th double-digit hit performance and its fifth double-digit run effort of the season, keying 12 hits for 14 runs.

Senior right-hander Tyler Fox (4-1) earned his fourth consecutive win on the mound, going 6.0 in his start. The Thornton, Colo., native allowed six runs on 12 hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Fox also became Omaha's all-time leader for career innings pitched, as his 259.1 innings passes former Maverick Mike Metz (1975-78), who threw 255.2.

Fort Wayne's Evan Miller (2-1) took the loss, giving up nine runs -- eight earned -- on five hits and seven walks with two strikeouts over 3.2 innings of work.

Senior Cole Gruber led UNO offensively, finishing 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, three runs scored, three RBI and a stolen base. Junior Sam Palensky (2-for-4, one run, two RBI), sophomore Adam Caniglia (2-for-5, one run, two RBI), freshman Riley Herold (2-for-4, one run) and senior Clayton Taylor (2-for-4, one run, three RBI) also had multi-hit efforts for the Mavericks.

Omaha jumped out to a quick two-run lead in the top of the first inning. Senior Alex Schultz led off with a walk and Gruber singled through the right side before a two-run single up the middle from Caniglia plated both runners to make it 2-0.

Fort Wayne got a run back with three hits in the top of the second. Shane Trevino, Shannon Baker and Jonathan Valenzuela-Reece all singled to load the bases with one out, and Trevino later scored when Brandon Yoho reached on a fielder's choice for a 2-1 tally.

The Mavericks put up three more runs on three hits in the bottom half of the inning. Palensky and Herold both got on with singles, and a sacrifice bunt by Leif brought in Palensky. Schultz then drew a two-out walk, and Gruber followed with a two-run double to left center drove in Herold and Schultz to stretch the lead to 5-1.

In the third, sophomore Cole Patterson reached on a fielding error and eventually scored on another Mastodon fielding miscue for a 6-1 Omaha edge. Fort Wayne responded with a pair of runs in the fourth via Brock Logan's two-run home run to right that cut the Mavericks' lead to 6-3.

Omaha put up another three-spot in the fourth inning, opening with consecutive walks by senior Collin Leif, Schultz and Gruber to load the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly to right by Taylor then drove in Leif, and Palensky later added a two-run single to center, plating Gruber and Schultz for a 9-3 advantage.

Fort Wayne came back with a two-run homer to right by Brandon Soat early in the fifth, then added another run in the sixth. Yoho led off the inning with a single through the left side and eventually scored on Evan VanSumeren's RBI single up the middle that made it 9-6.

In the bottom of the sixth, a two-out, two-run single to left by Kalina to score Caniglia and Taylor, and the Mavericks followed up in the seventh by collecting three more runs on three hits. Leif was hit by a pitch to get aboard with one out, followed by a double down the right field line by Schultz. Gruber then singled to left center to drive in Leif, and Taylor chipped in a two-run double down the right field line to push in Gruber and Schultz for a 14-6 lead.

Fort Wayne mustered one last run in the ninth, as Alec Reuille delivered a pinch-hit double down the left field line and later scored when Grant Wilson reached on a Maverick fielding error. Omaha quickly finished off the inning with a groundout, however, capping the 14-7 series-opening win.

Omaha returns to action on Saturday, March 19, hosting Fort Wayne at the Ballpark at Boys Town at 1 p.m. Links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.