COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Omaha softball team scored four runs in the final two innings Wednesday afternoon, but dropped a 7-4 decision to Missouri at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
Senior Nicole Warren led Omaha at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Freshman Vicky Kinney also went 2-for-4 with a double. Freshman Emily Klosterman finished 2-for-4 with a run scored. Senior Lizzie Noble added a double and an RBI, while freshman Hailey Bartz drove in a run.
Missouri had nine hits on the afternoon and took advantage of four Omaha errors in the game. Natalie Fleming finished 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBI, while Kirsten Mack went 2-for-4 with a home and three RBI to lead the Tigers at the plate.
Cheyenne Baxter (14-5) earned the win for the Tigers, allowing no runs on four hits and two walks with a strikeout. The loss went to sophomore right-hander Laura Roecker (6-13), who surrendered seven runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks in 3.0 innings.
Omaha found itself in a 7-0 deficit after the third inning, but the Mavericks got a pair of runs back in the top of the sixth inning. Warren led off the inning with a single and later scored on a Bartz infield single. Noble reached on a fielder's choice that brought in Klosterman, which capped a two-run, three-hit inning at 7-2.
UNO inched closer in the top of the seventh. Warren sent a 1-0 pitch over the center field fence to pull the Mavericks within 7-4 with one out, but Tiger reliever Madi Norman got a pair of groundouts to preserve the Missouri win.
The Mavericks are now 11-25 on the season, while the Tigers improved to 27-18 (5-9 SEC).
Omaha returns to action on Friday, April 21, visiting South Dakota State. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. in Brookings, S.D., and links to live stats and video will be available on OMavs.com.
