BROOKINGS, S.D. – The Omaha baseball team's comeback in the first game of the series at South Dakota State fell short, as the Mavericks fell 5-4 in 10 innings on a walk-off home run.
Cal Hehnke (0-3) finished with the loss and totaled three strikeouts through 3.0 innings pitched, giving up two hits and one run, while SDSU's Alex Marro improved to 1-1 with a pair of strikeouts through 3.0 innings, yielding two hits. Starter
Joey Machado pitched 6.0 innings and totaled two strikeouts in the game.
The Mavericks (14-26, 9-10 Summit League) were able to get on the board first off Ben Palenksy's sacrifice fly that scored. That same inning, the Jackrabbits (13-24, 11-8 Summit League) sparked a four-run stretch, beginning with a solo home run to center. South Dakota State followed up with three RBI to take a 4-1 lead by the end of the second.
It was not until the sixth that the Mavericks mounted a comeback.
Braden Rogers doubled to send
Thomas DeBonville in for the score. Rogers found himself rewarded on the next out, as
Keil Krumwiede's sacrifice fly made it a one-run game.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Jackrabbits put runners on first and second with one out, but the Mavericks held off the surge when SDSU lined out into a double play.
Enter
Cole Thibodeau, who kept the momentum going as he singled to right for an RBI that made Palensky scored from second to tie it at 4-4. Omaha continued to put runners on base in the ensuing inning and had a chance to take the lead with runners on first and third with two outs, but the Jackrabbits were able to close it out and leave both
Max Gamm and Krumwiede stranded.
The Mavericks found themselves with the same opportunity in the top of the ninth with
Hunter Hughes advancing to third off a wild pitch, but once again SDSU held on to keep it tied. In the 10th inning on a 3-2 count, South Dakota State's Tony Kjolsing hit a walk-off homer to end the game.
Omaha returns to action on Saturday, May 5 against the Jackrabbits for the second game of the series with a 1 p.m. first pitch. Links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com