MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota broke through an eighth-inning tie Tuesday evening as the Omaha baseball team dropped a 5-3 decision at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Mavericks are now 4-8 on the season, while the Golden Gophers improve to 9-4.
The win on the mound went to Jackson Rose (2-0), who threw a third of an inning and allowed one hit with one strikeout.
Malik Moore (0-1) took the loss after 1.1 innings of relief, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk with one strikeout. Max Meyer earned his third save with a scoreless, hitless ninth inning.
Thomas DeBonville finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, a run scored, two RBI and a stolen base.
Cole Thibodeau was 2-for-4, scored twice and tallied his third swiped bag of the year, and
Hunter Hughes added another 2-for-4 showing.
Omaha got out to a quick lead in the top of the first with a pair of runs on three hits. Thibodeau led off the game with a single to right and advanced two bases after a wild pitch, followed by a full-count walk by
Max Gamm to put runners on the corners. DeBonville then reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Thibodeau to score the Mavericks' first run of the night. After a first-pitch single to right center by Hughes, a
Keil Krumwiede RBI single to left drove in DeBonville for a 2-0 advantage.
Minnesota took the lead in the second, using three hits to score a trio of runs. Jordan Kozicky and Meyer both singled, and a sacrifice fly by Ben Mezzenga plated Kozicky. Eli Wilson added an immediate double down the left field line, and Meyer came in next on a balk. A Jack Wassel groundout then drove in Wilson to put the Golden Gophers ahead 3-2.
In the fourth,
Spencer Koelewyn came in to relieve starter
Jake Pennington on the mound and tossed three shutout innings with two hits and two walks alongside three strikeouts.
Both teams were held without another run until the eighth, when Omaha regained the lead. Thibodeau sent a one-out single up the middle, and following a Minnesota pitching change, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. DeBonville came up next with a first-pitch RBI double to center, which knotted the game at 3-3.
The Golden Gophers, however, put together the go-ahead frame in the bottom half of the eighth with two runs on three hits. Meyer led off with a single, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and crossed with Wilson's RBI double down the left field line. Following a call to the bullpen, Cole McDevitt singled in Wilson, which brought the final tally to 5-3.
Wilson led the way offensively for Minnesota, going 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
Omaha returns to action on Thursday, March 8, beginning a three-game series at BYU. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT in Provo, Utah, and links to live stats and video will be available on OMavs.com.
