Box Score FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- The Omaha baseball team closed its series at Fort Wayne Saturday morning, outlasting IPFW for a 3-2 triumph at Mastodon Field. With the win, the Mavericks improved to 22-21 (12-9 Summit League), while the Mastodons dropped to 21-23 (6-15 Summit League).

Sophomore right-hander Corey Binger (6-3) earned the win in relief, throwing the final 5.0 innings with one run allowed on four hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts. IPFW reliever Jake Weber (3-4) was saddled with the loss, giving up the go-ahead run on three hits in the ninth.

Seniors Collin Leif (2-for-4, one run, one RBI) and Clayton Taylor (2-for-4, one RBI) each finished with two hits to lead Omaha offensively.

Fort Wayne struck for their first run in the bottom of the first inning. Brandon Soat led off by reaching on a fielding error and eventually scored courtesy of Shane Trevino's RBI single to left center, digging UNO an early 1-0 deficit.

Omaha tied it in the fifth, starting with a one-out walk by senior Cole Gruber, who immediately stole second. Taylor followed by keying an RBI double to right center, which scored Gruber to stall the game at 1-1.

The Mavericks took their first lead in the sixth, stringing together three hits for one run. Consecutive singles by junior Sam Palensky and freshman Jack Kalina put two runners aboard, and two batters later, Leif ripped a two-out RBI single down the left field line to drive in Palensky for a 2-1 edge.

Fort Wayne then knotted the game again in the eighth. Greg Kaiser led off with a double down the left field line and Trevino walked, and both moved into scoring position on Brock Logan's sacrifice bunt. Jonathan Reece's RBI groundout then plated Kaiser, which locked it at 2-2.

Omaha wasn't done though, as the Mavericks came back for what would be the winning run with two outs in the top of the ninth. Leif got on with a one-out single to second, and Taylor added a single to the same spot two batters later. Facing a two-out situation, senior Alex Schultz came through with an RBI single to right that scored Leif, putting UNO up 3-2.

The Mastodons threatened in the bottom half of the frame, as Jackson Boyce led off with an infield single and went to third on a two-base throwing error before being gunned down at home by Kalina. Omaha finished off the game with a flyout and a foulout, preserving the 3-2 win.

Omaha returns to action Friday, May 6, visiting North Dakota State for the first of three games next weekend. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. in Fargo, N.D., and links to live video and stats will be available on OMavs.com.

NOTES
-Senior Cole Gruber's stolen base in the fifth inning pushed his season total to 36. The mark passes the single-season school record of 35 set by former Maverick Bryan Frew in 2008.
-Gruber now owns 98 stolen bases over his four-year career, needing two to become the first player in school history to swipe 100 bags.
-UNO won the season series vs. Fort Wayne, 5-1, after sweeping three games in Omaha and taking two of three on the road this weekend.