CONWAY, Ark. - Omaha softball improved to 16-4 Friday as the Mavericks scored 18 runs in two contests, defeating Illinois State and Central Arkansas in the first game of a two-game series against each team. The Mavericks have now won three-straight, dating to an eight-inning victory over Utah Tech on March 2 in California.
Omaha concludes Milisa Moore and Shane Lamb Tournament hosted by Central Arkansas with an 11 a.m. CT tilt with Illinois State, followed by 1:30 p.m. CT matchup with the host Sugar Bears.
Omaha's bats were hot in the opening game of the weekend as the Mavericks strung together a season-high 15 hits, including two doubles and a whopping four home runs, in a 12-4 takedown of Illinois State.
Sammy Schmidt got the action underway in the top half of the first with a three-run homer, her third of the year, to give the Mavericks an early advantage. Illinois State would get one in the home side of the inning as the Redbirds scored off
Alexis Wiggins.
Ava Rongisch would tack on a three-run homer of her own to put Omaha up 6-1. The Redbirds had an immediate answer in the bottom of the third with three runs off extra-base hits to come within two.
After Aly Edwards was hit by a pitch with the bases juiced, Rongisch crossed home to give Omaha a 7-4 lead.
Katherine Johnson scored on an error to make it a four-run ballgame. Omaha notched two more homers in the sixth with
Sydney Thomason belting a solo home run to left, followed by a two-run shot off the bat of Johnson to move the Omaha lead to seven.
A Rongisch single through the left side scored Thomason to cement a 12-4 victory.
Rongisch went 4-for-4 on the day with three runs scored, a walk and four RBI. Her five home runs are the third most by a Maverick this season.
Wiggins earned her fifth win of the season, striking out four in 5.0 innings. She was relieved by
Grace Hornbuckle who allowed just two walks on four strikeouts in 2.0 innings to keep the Redbirds at bay in the first meeting of the weekend.
Five of Omaha's six runs in the nightcap came via the long ball as the Mavericks continued to explode at the plate. Thomason got the action going with a solo home run against Central Arkansas, a true road game for the red and black.
Mike Heard's team went back-to-back as Rongisch followed suit in the next at-bat, taking the 3-1 pitch to deep right center.
The Sugar Bears scored their lone run of the afternoon in the bottom of the first.
Thomason hit her second homer of the day, a three-run swing, in the visitor's third to score
Marra Cramer and
Rylinn Groff. Thomason's single in the top of the seventh scored
Maggie O'Brien to cap the scoring for Omaha and cement a 6-1 road victory.
Maddia Groff made her eighth start of the season in the circle for Omaha. The sophomore allowed just one earned run and two hits in seven innings. Groff struck out nine without recording a walk in 23 batters faced. Groff currently boasts a WHIP of .80, good for a spot in the national top 25 rankings among all Division I pitchers.
Season tickets for home games at
Connie Claussen Field are on-sale now at
OMavs.com/Tix.
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