OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha Mavericks split their final two games of the season in doubleheader against Western Illinois.

Omaha defeated the Leathernecks 7-4 in the first game before dropping a 12-8 result in the season finale. The final games also marked Senior Day for James Smith, Nick Drahozal and Adam Caniglia. 

Omaha 7, Western Illinois 4 
In a come-from-behind effort, the Mavericks were able to rally in the sixth inning to take the second game of the overall series against Western. 

After WIU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning, the Mavericks answered with five in the bottom of the sixth. After Gamm scored on a throwing error to make it 4-1, Thomas DeBonville launched a grand slam for his sixth home run of the season to make it 5-4. 

A single by Braden Rogers brought home another run for Gamm in the bottom of the seventh, which made it 6-4. An inning later in the bottom of the eighth, a sacrifice fly by Adam Caniglia scored DeBonville for the team's seventh and final run of the game to close out the three-run win. 

Thomas DeBonville paced the Mavericks going 1-for-3 with two runs and four RBI, while Tyler Daugherty went 3-for-4 at the plate. Nick Drahozal earned the win in relief (1-0) with two strikeouts, two walks and four hits, giving up no runs through the final 6.2 innings. For the Leathernecks, Alex Dorethy (0-3) earned the loss giving up three runs, three hits, a walk and threw two strikeouts. 

Omaha 8, Western Illinois 12 
Scoring from both sides came early on as the Mavericks fell into a 4-0 deficit in the top of the first. In the bottom frame of the same inning, Hunter Hughes tripled to bring home Adam Caniglia, followed by a single from Max Gamm that scored Hughes to make it 4-2. 

Omaha eventually regained a 7-5 lead in the bottom of the third with two RBI off a double from Keil Krumwiede and a Cole Thibodeau sacrifice bunt. Western Illinois recorded a sacrifice fly to cut it to 7-6, but the Mavericks picked up their eighth run in the bottom of the fourth. 

The Leathernecks cut the Omaha lead back to one (8-7) in the fifth off a double to left field for an RBI, and then regained the lead with a two-run homer in the seventh. 

A Western Illinois single in the eighth brought home another RBI, followed by a second two-run homer in the top of the ninth to close out the game 12-8.  

Max Gamm (3-for-5) and Hunter Hughes (2-for-5) both led the way for Omaha in the second game with one run and one RBI apiece.  

Western Illinois' Sam Cottingham-Beard improved to 1-1 tossing two strikeouts with two walks, four hits and one run in relief, while Grant Suponchick fell to 1-3 overall with two strikeouts and three runs allowed in relief. 

The Mavericks conclude the 2018 season with a 15-25 overall record and a 10-17 mark in league play.