OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha' softball swept South Dakota Friday afternoon in a Summit League doubleheader at
Connie Claussen Field, taking game one, 9-1, in six innings, before rallying from an early 4-0 deficit to win game two, 6-5.
The Mavericks (31-9, 11-3) have now won 10-straight games and won four of their five conference series this season.
Omaha celebrated the 1975 AIAW National Championship 50th Anniversary with a pregame first pitch by alumna Pat Linson and ceremony in-between games.
In game one, Omaha scored two runs apiece in the bottom of the second and third innings to go up 4-0 and take control of the game. The biggest blows in the rallies were an RBI double by
Ava Rongisch and a two-run triple off the bat of
Marra Cramer.
The Mavericks added a run in the fourth to make it 5-0 before South Dakota (24-19, 4-7) got its lone run of the game in the top of the fifth. Omaha closed out the opener by plating four runs in the bottom of the sixth – including a walkoff three-run homer by
Sammy Schmidt – to build a 9-1 lead and end things early via the run rule.
Omaha pounded out 12 hits in the opener, led by
Rylinn Groff's 3-for-3, two runs scored performance.
Maggie O'Brien was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, Cramer went 2-for-3 with a double, triple, and two RBI and Schmidt ended up 2-for-4 with a double, homer and three RBI.
Maddia Groff got the win in the circle for Omaha, allowing one run on three hits with six strikeouts and no walks in six innings of work.
In the nightcap, South Dakota jumped on Omaha starter
Alexis Wiggins early, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first two innings to grab a 4-0 advantage. The Mavericks started their comeback in the bottom of the second, plating three runs of their own to close the 'Yotes lead to 4-3.
A sacrifice fly by Cramer in the third tied the game at 4 before South Dakota pulled ahead, 5-4, with another run in the top of the fifth. However, Omaha made another comeback in the bottom of the sixth to take a 6-5 lead.
Rongisch led off the inning with a single before Cramer reached on an error to put runners on first and second. After a sacrifice bunt by
Rylan Ewoldt moved the runners to second and third with one out, a wild pitch allowed Rongisch to come home and tie the game at 5. The next batter, O'Brien, then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Cramer and put the Mavericks ahead for good.
Sydney Thomason went 2-for-3 with a double to lead the Omaha bats and she was the lone Maverick to finish with more than one hit. Schmidt also doubled and Cramer tripled for Omaha in the win.
Maddia Groff (18-4) got the win for the Mavericks, giving up no runs on one hit with five strikeouts and no walks in 2.2 innings of relief. Groff now owns a 1.44 ERA and 0.72 WHIP with 188 strikeouts and 14 walks in 135 2/3 innings this season.
Wiggins gave up five runs (all earned) on nine hits with one walk in 4.1 innings before being lifted.
Omaha and South Dakota close the series with a 1 p.m. CT contest Saturday live on the Summit League Network. The series finale marks the Mavericks' final conference home game of the season and will be Senior Day at
Connie Claussen Field.
The last regular season home game comes Tuesday evening, April 22 against crosstown rival Creighton at 6 p.m. CT, sponsored by Mutual of Omaha. Omaha closes out the regular season with five road games heading to the Summit League Championship May 7-10 in Brookings, S.D.
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