KANSAS CITY, MO. - Omaha softball secured their third straight series with a doubleheader sweep at Kansas City, winning 7-1 in game one and 4-0 in game two at Urban Youth Academy field Saturday. The Mavericks (28-9, 8-3) extended their winning streak to seven games, while the Roos (4-31, 1-10) have dropped 12 straight.
The teams conclude the three-game conference series Sunday at 11:00 a.m. CT. All Summit League softball games are broadcast on the Summit League Network.
The Summit League's leading pitcher (ERA, wins and strikeouts)
Maddia Groff allowed one run over 3.1 innings as starter in the first game then retired all four runners she faced coming out of the bullpen in earning the save to close out game two.
Sydney Thomason came up big at the plate, combining to go 4-5 with three runs scored, three RBI and three walks. The Mavericks never trailed in the doubleheader.
In game one, the Mavericks opened the game with back-to-back-walks by
Maggie O'Brien and
Rylinn Groff. A double steal put both runners in scoring position, and O'Brien scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0.
Sydney Thomason reached on a walk, chasing starter Hannah Burks. Thomason and Rylinn executed a double steal to make it 2-0. Omaha's
Haley Wilwerding then singled to left off reliever Maddie Parker to give the Mavericks a 3-0 lead they would not relinquish.
The Roos touched
Maddia Groff for a rare first inning run. Chloe Kohnhorst doubled and Gianna Lickel singled to put runners on the corners with nobody out. After Lickel stole second, Briona Woods singled through the right side to make it 3-1. Omaha later caught Lickel trying to steal home on a double steal, and Groff struck out the next two batters to end the rally.
It is the first time this season a Summit League opponent has scored in the first inning off
Maddia Groff. She gave way to
Alyson Edwards after 3.1 innings, scattering three hits and striking out seven. The run allowed in the first ended a stretch of 24 scoreless innings in league play for Groff.
The Mavs bounced right back as
Marra Cramer and
Rylan Ewoldt doubled to open the second. O'Brien's sacrifice fly scored Cramer to make it 4-1, and Thomason singled home Ewoldt to give the Mavericks a 5-1 lead. They added two more in the fourth on Thomason's team-leading 11th home run of the season, a two-run blast to make it 7-1.
Edwards (5-0) is credited with the win (Groff failed to complete four innings as starter of a regulation game) as she and
Grace Hornbuckle blanked the Roos the rest of the way.
In game two, Omaha's
Alexis Wiggins and Kansas City's Riley Bebb locked up in a pitcher's duel. After reaching on an error in the third,
Katherine Johnson scored on a sacrifice fly by
Marra Cramer.
Kansas City threatened with a pair of two-out hits in the bottom of the sixth, when eventual winner Wiggins (7-5) gave way to
Maddia Groff, who retired Bustamante to end the threat.
The 1-0 lead was intact until the Roos defense opened the door for Omaha in the top of the seventh.
Rylinn Groff scored on a wild pitch, Johnson had an RBI single and
Ava Rongisch an RBI double as the Mavs plated three unearned runs.
Maddia Groff earned her second save of the season, putting KC hitters down in order in the bottom of the seventh to secure the 4-0 win, Omaha's ninth shutout this season.
After the finale of the three-game series Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. CT, the Mavericks return to
Connie Claussen Field April 18-20 for a three-game Summit League series against South Dakota. Links to live statistics and streaming video can be found on the softball
schedule page at OMavs.com.
Season tickets for home games at
Connie Claussen Field are on-sale now at
OMavs.com/Tix.
Connect with Omaha softball on
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Instagram,
@OmahaSB.
