Box Score OMAHA, Neb. -- The Omaha baseball team extended its win streak to four games on Friday, defeating North Dakota State 9-8 in the weekend series opener at the Ballpark at Boys Town. With the win, the Mavericks improve to 13-9 (4-0 Summit League), while the Bison drop to 10-9 (1-3 Summit League).

Senior right-hander Tyler Fox (5-1) chalked up his fifth straight victory on the mound, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work. Zach Mayo (0-2) took the loss, giving up seven runs -- four earned -- on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 3.2 innings. Sophomore right-hander Ryan Cate earned his fourth save of the year, allowing two hits over 1.1 scoreless innings.

Senior Cole Gruber led the Mavericks offensively, finishing 2-for-2 with a triple, two walks, three runs scored, an RBI and three stolen bases. Senior Clayton Taylor was 2-for-3 with two more walks, a run scored and three more driven in, and senior Alex Schultz went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored three times.

The Bison tallied first, compliments of Ben Petersen's two-run double down the left field line in the top of the first inning.

Trailing 2-0, Omaha responded immediately and tied it in the bottom half of the frame. Schultz started it off with a single to left, then scored on Gruber's RBI triple to the left-center gap to cut the Bison lead in half. Taylor followed with an RBI single up the middle to drive in Gruber, knotting the game in a 2-2 tie.

NDSU regained the lead in the second when Juan Gamez, who led off with a double down the left field line, advanced to third on a wild pitch and came in via Logan Busch's RBI single up the middle for a 3-2 score.

UNO came back for two runs on three hits and an error in the third. Gruber got on with a leadoff single through the right side and stole second, then scored on Taylor's RBI single up the middle. Taylor later came in on an RBI groundout by junior Sam Palensky, putting the Mavericks ahead 4-3.

In the fourth, senior Collin Leif sparked a three-run inning for Omaha, starting it off with a solo home run to left  -- the first of his first career. Schultz then singled through the left side and advanced two bases with a wild pitch and a throwing error, followed by a Gruber walk and a stolen base to put runners in scoring position with one out. An RBI groundout by Taylor then drove in Schultz, and after an NDSU pitching change, Gruber scored promptly on a wild pitch to make it 7-3.

The Mavericks extended their lead in the sixth, with Leif and Schultz both working walks to start the inning. Gruber laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners, and after Taylor was intentionally walked to load the bases, sophomore Adam Caniglia sent a two-run single down the right field line to push the score to 9-3.

Omaha held a comfortable lead until North Dakota State came up in the eighth, using six hits and an error for a five-run burst. Jayse McLean got on with a one-out single to right center, then scored immediately with pinch hitter Danny Regan's RBI double. Busch followed with another RBI double, and he came in with Drew Fearing's RBI single to right. Brayden Resch then added a double to left center, and Fearing scored on a fielding error on the play. Petersen finished it off with an RBI single down the left field line, plating Resch for a one-run ballgame at 9-8.

In the top of the ninth, McLean singled to center and pinch hitter Taylor Sanders was hit by a pitch to put the go-ahead run on with one out. Omaha quickly got out of the jam with back-to-back popups though, preserving the 9-8 win.

Omaha and North Dakota State resume their series on Saturday, March 26, with first pitch at 1 p.m. at the Ballpark at Boys Town. Links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.