TULSA, Okla. – Due to continuous rain in the area this week, Omaha waited an extra 27 hours to take the field at the Summit League tournament. The Mavericks then wasted little time in piling on the top seed.
Omaha (25-29) scored six second-inning runs and never looked back in its 10-2 pounding of regular-season league champion North Dakota State (30-18) in the opening game at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
Starter
Caleb Riedel struck out seven batters while pitching a season-long eight innings to push the Mavericks within a win of the tournament final. They play their second-round game at 6:05 p.m. Friday.
Riedel, who lost a 1-0 decision to the Bison and NDSU starter Max Loven earlier this season in Omaha, didn't change his demeanor with a big early lead. He leaned on his fastball on a day his slider was off.
"It was the same thing as always, same mindset – just go out and compete, throw strikes and get outs," he said. "Being able to spot up fastballs is huge to get outs when you don't have your best stuff."
Riedel (4-2) didn't allow a run until the seventh, when his team was already up 8-0. The Mavericks used a patient approach at the plate to draw 12 walks on Thursday, including five off Loven in the second.
Eduardo Rosario walked to open that inning then added a two-run single later in the same frame as Omaha batted around. His hit off Loven (7-5) knocked the North Dakota State starter out of the game.
"This team – the last time we played them – they've been throwing me a lot of breaking balls and trying to surprise me with a fastball after two strikes," Rosario said. "So I was sitting on the breaking ball all the way until I'd get two strikes and then [I'd] react and see the ball. And he just walked me right there."
The Mavericks loaded the bases with no outs, but they scored all six runs after two were retired.
Noah Greise had a two-run single two batters before Rosario's. Loven walked in a run in the inning as well.
Omaha turned consecutive bases on balls in the fourth into two more runs on a
Jack Lombardi double.
"The credit goes to our guys for being so patient at the plate and having the discipline to not chase," Maverick coach
Evan Porter said. "That's usually when he's been really successful against us. … All the credit goes to our guys for having the plate discipline today to work those counts and those walks."
Greise homered to answer a solo shot by NDSU's Charley Hesse. He and Rosario each had two hits while five other Mavericks had one.
Mike Boeve finished 0 for 4 with a walk, ending his hitting streak at 29 games.
Tanner Howe pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to end the game, keeping Omaha's bullpen intact for the tourney.
"Caleb was just lights out the entire day. He was nails today," Porter said. "And that's what you need if you want to go on in a tournament. We've got some guys that will be fresh going into tomorrow because Caleb went so long today.
"These tournaments are really hard pitching-wise. You want to be strategic, but you want to leave no doubt and not take any chances."
