MISSOULA, Mont. – The Omaha softball team hit three home runs including a grand slam from freshman Kourtney Pock in game two to pick up a split in a pair of games Saturday at the Grizzly Classic.
The Mavericks fell to Nevada in the first game of the day by a score of 10-2 in six innings. UNO closed the day with a 12-3 win over host Montana in six innings.
Omaha is now 12-17 on the season. The Mavericks will return to action at the Grizzly Classic on Sunday, facing Nevada at 11:30 a.m. (CT) before facing Montana at 4:30 p.m. (CT).
Game 1
Nevada 10 Omaha 2 (6 innings)
Big offensive outbursts in the third and fifth innings proved to be problematic for the Mavericks in game one of the Grizzly Classic.
Laura Roecker fell to 6-8 on the season as she allowed nine runs – eight of them earned – on nine hits. She walked two and struck out three through five innings of work. Lizzie Noble pitched the final 2/3 of an inning allowing one run on two hits and a walk.
The Wolfpack took advantage of an error in the second inning to get on the board. Jennifer Purcell led off with a double down the left field line and moved to third on Amanda Nicholas' sacrifice bunt. Roecker was able to get the second out of the inning with a grounder to third. Aaliyah Gibson reached on an error that allowed Purcell to score and put Nevada on top 1-0.
Nevada scored three runs with two out in the bottom of the third on Purcell's home run to center field. The Wolfpack increased their lead to 4-0.
Omaha got a run back in the top of the fifth. Kelly Pattison reached on a fielder's choice and moved to third on Tara Trede's single down the left field line. Bailey Schulenberg walked to load the bases with one out. Nicole Warren lifted a fly ball to the center fielder who muffed the catch allowing Pattison to score, but Mancuso was thrown out at second on the play.
Megan Sweet led off the bottom of the inning with a homer to center field. The Wolfpack added three more runs in the inning to move out to an 8-1 lead.
Campbell Ditto was hit by a pitch to open the sixth and moved to second on a wild pitch. Kourtney Pock singled through the left side to bring home Ditto. Pock moved up a base on another wild pitch, but was stranded as the next two Omaha batters flew out to center field.
Nevada added two runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth to end the game as the Wolfpack picked up the 10-2 victory in six innings.
Game 2
Omaha 12 Montana 3 (6 innings)
Omaha scored in all but one inning in its second game of the day. Nicole Warren got things going with a leadoff walk and then stole second base. Campbell Ditto reached on an error that allowed Warren to advance to third. Lizzie Noble walked to load the bases. Kourtney Pock cleared the base paths with a home run to center field. The homer was Pock's third of the season and her second grand slam of the week.
Sydney Hames hit a two out shot that went over the center field wall for a 5-0 Maverick lead in the top of the second.
Pock got the Omaha offense going in the top of the third as she worked a leadoff walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Bailey Schulenberg singled to right allowing Pock to score. Megan May walked moving Schulenberg to second. Tara Trede smashed a double to right center moving May to third and scoring Schulenberg. Omaha increased its lead to 7-0 after three innings.
The first three Grizzly batters in the bottom of the fourth reached base. Starter Abbie Clanton retired the next two batters before a Lexie Brennis double to right field scored three runs. Omaha would get out of the inning still leading 7-3.
Lia Mancuso opened the top of the fifth with a triple to right field. Warren would reach on a throwing error by the third baseman that allowed Mancuso to cross the plate. Ditto hit a blast to left field to move Omaha's lead to 10-3 after five complete innings.
Trede singled up the middle with one out in the sixth and moved to third on Mancuso's double. Hames hit a single to center field to score Trede and Mancuso and make the final score 12-3.
Clanton picked up the complete game victory and improved to 5-6 on the season. She allowed three earned runs on nine hits with five walks and five strikeouts.
Six different Omaha batters had two hits on the afternoon. Pock went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI on a double and a homer. Hames had two hits including a home run and three RBI. Ditto's two hits included a long ball to go along with two runs scored and two RBI. Schulenberg and Trede each had two hits and an RBI.
