MISSOULA, Mont. – The Omaha softball team dropped two games on the final day of the Montana Grizzly Classic. In the opening game, the Mavericks dropped an 11-3 decision to Nevada. Omaha lost 1-0 game to tournament host Montana to close out its tournament play.
Omaha is now 12-19 on the season. The Mavericks open Summit League play with a doubleheader on Friday, March 25th against IUPUI. Friday's first pitch is set for noon at Westside Field at Westbrook. Game two is scheduled for 2 p.m. The series will wrap up on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Game 1
Nevada 11 Omaha 3
Nevada used three home runs, including two off the bat of Raquel Martinez, as part of a 17 hit performance to pick up the win on Sunday.
Abbie Clanton took the loss in the first game of the day, falling to 5-7 on the season. She allowed five runs – four earned – on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work. Lizzie Noble pitched 4.2 innings in relief allowing six earned runs on 10 hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Nevada struck first, getting on the board in the first inning with a one-out single from Martinez. Megan Sweet singled to center before Clanton was able to record her second strikeout of the inning. Melissa Arriaga delivered a two-out single back up the middle for the first run of the game.
The Wolfpack took advantage of an error in the second to add to their lead. With two outs in the inning, Kwynn Warner reached on an error to bring Martinez to the plate. Martinez would homer to left center to increase the lead to 3-0.
Nevada would add runs in the third and fourth innings to increase its lead to 7-0.
Omaha struck back in the fourth inning, using four straight hits to put two runs on the board. Sydney Hames opened the inning with a single through the left side. Campbell Ditto doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third. Kourtney Pock doubled to right scoring Hames and moving Ditto to third. Lizzie Noble singled to center and moved to second on the throw as Ditto scored. The Mavericks were poised to add more runs to their total in the inning when Bailey Schulenberg flew out to left field. The Wolfpack left fielder made a great catch and threw the ball back into the infield where Nevada was to complete a triple play when both Omaha baserunners were deemed not to have tagged up. After four innings, Omaha trailed 7-2.
Nevada added a run in the fifth and three more in the seventh to make the score 11-2.
Schulenberg opened the bottom of the seventh with a single through the right side. Pinch hitter Kylie Schwarting roped a triple to right center allowing Schulenberg to score. Wolfpack starter McKenna Isenberg retired the next three Maverick batters to end the game.
Game 2
Montana 1 Omaha 0
Freshman Laura Roecker gave up just one run on five hits while pitching all six innings for Omaha. She struck out four batters and walked three.
Montana scored the lone run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bethany Olea led off the inning with a single up the middle and then stole second. Olea came home on Ashlyn Lyons sacrifice fly to center field.
Omaha had chances to score, but couldn't get the clutch hit it needed. For the game, the Mavericks stranded 11 bases runners including leaving the bases loaded in the second. UNO also left two runners on base in the third and seventh inning.
Sara Stephenson pitched out of trouble for the Grizzlies and went the distance to get the win. Stephenson struck out four batters, allowed six hits, and walked one in the complete game.
Six different Omaha batters had singles. Kourtney Pock and Bailey Schulenberg each had singles and added to their season-high hitting streaks. Pock has now hit safely in five straight games, while Schulenberg has hit safely in four straight. Campbell Ditto and Sydney Hames also had hits to maintain their three game hitting streaks. Kelly Pattison and Tara Trede also had base knocks for the Mavs.
