OMAHA, Neb. - Omaha softball opened defense of their Summit League crown with a doubleheader split against St. Thomas at
Connie Claussen Field. Playing their first home games of the season after 24 on the road, the Mavs (20-6, 1-1) won game one 5-1 behind
Maddia Groff's four-hitter before a rare shutout in the nightcap, falling 1-0 to the Tommies (15-10, 1-1).
Mike Heard's defending Summit League champs continue their seven-game homestand against St. Thomas at
Connie Claussen Field Sunday at 2:00 p.m. CT. The Mavericks host Nebraska in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday, March 26 at 5 p.m. CT. They complete the homestand with three games against North Dakota, March 29-30. All Mavericks home games - and all Summit League games - are broadcast on the Summit League Network.
St. Thomas leftfielder Kaitlyn Raymond turned in the day's first stellar defensive play in the second, diving in foul territory to retire Omaha's
Katherine Johnson with a runner aboard.
The Mavericks scored the game's first runs in the fourth with the benefit of a pair of fortunate hits. With two outs,
Marra Cramer's pop to the right side of the infield fell untouched for a hit.
Maggie O'Brien then drilled a shot to deep left that glanced off of Raymond's glove for a run-scoring double.
Sydney Thomason singled to center, and O'Brien scored ahead of the throw to give the Mavericks the lead, 2-0.
St. Thomas threatened in the top of the fourth. After Cassidy Carby drew a walk, Cramer made a diving catch in shallow center to rob Christina Crawford of a hit. Two batters later Laken Lienhard singled to put runners on the corners with two outs. But
Maddia Groff induced Abbi Stirlein to poke a soft liner right at second baseman
Rylee White to end the inning.
Omaha added insurance in the bottom of the fourth. After an infield hit and throwing error put lead-off hitter
Katherine Johnson on second,
Haley Wilwerding crushed her second home run of the season to left to give Omaha the 4-0 lead.
The Tommies got on the board in the fifth. After a one-out double to left-center by Kameron Monson, pinch-runner Miley Wochman advanced to third on a long foul out to right before scoring on an infield hit off the bat of Avery Wukawitz to cut Omaha's lead to 4-1.
The Mavericks extended the lead in the bottom of the sixth as
Katherine Johnson's second home run of the season gave Omaha the 5-1 lead.
Sophomore catcher
Rylinn Groff (1-2, 1 BB) extended her on-base streak to nine games and her hitting streak to six games. Wilwerding extended her on-base streak to five games, and then to six games with a single in game two.
Rylinn Groff's twin sister
Maddia Groff hurled a complete game four-hitter to improve to 11-2 on the season, her fourth straight winning start. Groff finished with two strikeouts and one walk in completing her ninth game of the year. Maddia lowered her Summit League-leading ERA to 1.33.
With home runs by Johnson and Wilwerding in game one, the Mavericks have equaled their home run total from the previous season.
St. Thomas threatened to score against
Alexis Wiggins, putting runners on the corners with one out. But Kaitlyn Raymond popped a bunt to the catcher and Ella Cook grounded into a fielder's choice, O'Brien to Johnson, to keep the game scoreless.
The Tommies took their first lead of the doubleheader in the top of the fifth after a single, stolen base and wild pitch put a runner at third base with one out. Avery Wukawitz's sacrifice fly to center brought in the game's first run.
Omaha's league-leading defense helped them escape a jam in the top of the sixth. After a leadoff walk, Kaitlyn Raymond was gunned down trying to steal by
Rylinn Groff. Then after a two-out double and a walk, pinch-runner Miley Wichman tried to score from second on an infield hit. Second baseman
Katherine Johnson wisely thew the ball home, where R. Groff tagged the runner out to keep the score 1-0.
In the top of the seventh, Rongisch again turned in a memorable defensive play, crashing into the fence in left-field foul territory to retire Ruby Moore for the second out of the inning.
St. Thomas senior Ella Cook (4-6) finished off her third career shutout with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. The tough luck complete game loss goes to Wiggins (5-4), who scattered six hits across seven innings, giving up just one run with a strikout and three walks.
The last time Omaha was shut out in a game was February 23 when they fell 3-0 to Michigan State in San Antonio. Omaha had not been shut out in a Summit League game since May 6, 2023 (3-0 loss to NDSU in Fargo). It marks Omaha's first shutout loss at Claussen Field since 3/27/22 (6-0 to SDSU).
Season tickets for home games at
Connie Claussen Field are on-sale now at
OMavs.com/Tix.
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