FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Omaha softball team picked up a pair of conference victories over Fort Wayne on Friday, as the Mavericks bested the Mastodons, 7-2 and 9-5, in a doubleheader at the Fort Wayne Softball Field.
With the wins, Omaha improved to 18-28 (5-8 Summit League), while Fort Wayne dropped to 17-33 (2-11).
Omaha 7, Fort Wayne 2
Natalie Mostek (1-for-3, home run, two RBI) and
Crystal Pablo (1-for-1, homer) each homered for the Mavericks in the opener.
Kelly Pattison went 2-for-2 at the plate with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
Hailey Bartz finished 1-for-4 with a triple and a run scored.
Sydney Hampton (10-11) picked up the complete-game victory, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Fort Wayne starting pitcher Bailey Benefiel (10-13) took the loss, allowing seven runs on nine hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work.
The Mastodons got on the board in the bottom of the second. The first two Fort Wayne batters reached to open the inning. Jenna Balthazor doubled to right field for a 2-0 lead.
Omaha responded in the top of the third inning. Hacke walked, and Pattison was hit by a pitch with one out to start the rally. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch before
Savannah Fisher hit an RBI single.
Emma Dargy drew a walk to load the bases. After an infield out,
Jessica Nelson was hit by a pitch to force in Pattison and tied the game.
Demi Dobbs singled through the left side to bring home Hampton and give the Mavericks a 3-1 advantage.
Mostek led off the top of the fourth with a solo homer to center field for a 4-1 lead.
Fort Wayne took advantage of two hits and a throwing error to cut the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth.
Bartz tripled to open the sixth inning and scored on Mostek's bunt. Mostek stole second and scored on Pattison's double to put Omaha in front 6-2. Pablo made the score 7-2 with a solo homer in the top of the seventh. Hampton then retired Fort Wayne to complete the victory.
Omaha 9, Omaha 5
The Maverick bats stayed hot in the nightcap of Friday's twin bill, as Omaha racked up nine runs on 11 hits to cap off the doubleheader sweep.
Savannah Fisher (1-for-3, RBI) and
Emma Dargy (1-for-3, 2 RBI) each homered for Omaha.
Aubrey Hacke went 2-for-5 with a double, run scored and three RBI.
Demi Dobbs finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI.
The win went to Hacke (5-8), as she threw 3.0 innings of relief and allowed no runs with three hits with four strikeouts and no walks. The loss went to Shaina Eyre (6-10), who surrendered seven runs on eight hits and three walks with two strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
Fort Wayne took the lead in the second inning on Courtney Holm's two-run homer to center field.
Omaha responded in the top of the third inning.
Hailey Bartz singled with two outs and moved to second on
Natalie Mostek's walk. Hacke laced a double to center allowing the pair to score and tie the game, 2-2.
The Mavericks blew the game open in the top of the fifth with six runs on six hits and an error. Mostek led off with a double. She moved to third on Hacke's single down the left field line and scored on a throwing error for a 3-2 Omaha advantage. Hacke came in to score on Pattison's single to left. Dargy then hit a two-run homer to left center.
Emily Klosterman doubled and forced a Fort Wayne pitching change. Following a pitching change,
Jessica Nelson walked, and Dobbs hit an RBI double.
Faith Romero capped the scoring with a sac fly to right that allowed Nelson to score and increase the Maverick lead to 8-2.
Fisher added an insurance run with a solo home run to make the score 9-2.
Fort Wayne made it interesting in the bottom of the seventh by scoring three runs on four hits and an error to make the final score 9-5.
Up Next
Omaha and Fort Wayne close the regular season on Saturday, May 5, with first pitch set for 10 a.m. (CT) at the Fort Wayne Softball Field. Links to live stats and video will be available on OMavs.com.
