SANTA CLARA, Calif.  – The Omaha baseball team earned its fifth win of the season with a 2-0 result over Santa Clara in the first of four games in the road series.
 
The win also marks the team's second shutout win of the season.
 
LEADERS FOR OMAHA
On the mound, Joey Machado pitched a career-high 13 strikeouts through 6.0 innings. He only allowed three hits and one walk on the night. Machado improved to 2-1 on the season, with both of his wins being shutouts this year. Santa Clara's Keegan McCarville falls to 2-2. Cal Hehnke notched his third save of the season with 3.0 innings pitched and also had a career-best with seven strikeouts on one hit allowed.
 
At the plate, Ben Palensky went a perfect 4-for-4 with a run and a double. Jack Lombardi was 2-for-5 with two RBI on a double.
 
INSIDE THE INNINGS
Omaha put runners in scoring position in the top of the first, but was finally rewarded for it an inning later. With two outs, Lombardi doubled to left center, which scored Palensky and Rogers.

Palensky continued his single-game hitting streak to three as he doubled off the left field wall leading off the top of the sixth inning. The senior was able to advance to third on a single, but was left stranded on base. He later picked up his fourth hit in the top of the eighth.
 
Hehnke entered in the top of the seventh for a dominant Machado, and allowed only one hit in the bottom of the eighth. In the bottom of the ninth, he retired the final three batters in a row.
 
UP NEXT
The Mavericks continue the series action with a doubleheader against Santa Clara tomorrow at 3 p.m. (CST). Links to live stats and stream are available on OMavs.com.