FRESNO, Calif. - Charlie Bell, Wyatt Sellers, and Luke Gainer combined to throw a three-hit shutout today as the Mavericks blanked Fresno State 1-0 to pick up their first win of the season. 

Omaha (1-6) avoids getting swept in back-to-back series as they finish off their California trip with a win. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs (4-3) suffered their first home loss of the season as they managed only a single hit over the final seven innings.

Innings 1-3
After an abbreviated performance in his season debut at UCLA, Bell returned to form and had a strong outing on Sunday, firing three shutout innings in which he stranded four runners and recorded his first strikeout of the season.

Meanwhile, after a 13-hit day on Saturday, the Mavericks bats were cold early on as Bulldogs starter Roman Angelo did not allow a single baserunner.

Innings 4-6
Sellers came in to relieve Bell after three strong innings and tossed a scoreless bottom of the fourth. The next inning, the Mavericks finally managed to break the stalemate as Zach Lechnir worked a full count and launched his second home run of the season with a two-out rocket to left center to make it 1-0 Omaha.

With both teams into their bullpens in the sixth inning, it became the Sellers show as he continued to dominate by striking out the side in the bottom of the inning, all on the same breaking pitch. 

Innings 7-9
Though he allowed his first hit after 3.1 innings, Sellers remained unfazed as he fired his fourth shutout inning in a row in the seventh. Gainer then came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and fanned two to keep the shutout intact.

Gainer came back out for the bottom of the ninth and had another 1-2-3 inning, capped off by a groundout to Lechnir to close out the game and earn his first career save in Omaha's first win of the season.

Inside the Box Score
Lechnir's fifth-inning home run not only gave Omaha its first lead of the day, but its first lead of the season after previously trailing in all six prior games.

With his single in the fourth inning, Mike Boeve has now hit safely in all seven games this season, as well as recording the first hit for the Mavericks in four of them.

Omaha has become the first team this season to shutout Fresno State. This is also the team's first shutout victory since May 3, 2022, when they blanked Kansas 9-0.

For the first time in 2023 the Mavericks did not commit any errors as their defense was perfect all day.

Up Next
With their California road trip at an end, the Mavericks have a quick turnaround as they return to Omaha for their home opener against Kansas State this Tuesday at 5 p.m.