SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Omaha rallied from a 5-0 deficit after two innings to outlast St. Thomas 11-7 Sunday in the finale of a three game Summit League series. Omaha (18-24, 11-13 Summit League) took two of three games from the league-leading Tommies at Koch Field in Saint Paul, the first conference series St. Thomas (22-20, 16-8 Summit League) has dropped at home this season.
With wins in five of their last six games, the Mavericks have moved into a tie for third-place in the Summit League standings with six regular season league games to play. Omaha hosts fifth-place South Dakota State for three games this weekend at Tal Anderson Field, May 9-11. All conference games are available to stream on the Summit League Network via Midco Sports.
The win marks the second time this season Evan Porter's club has erased a five-run deficit en route to victory. They trailed Nebraska 9-4 after four innings earlier this season before rallying for the 11-9 win April 2 at Tal Anderson Field.
Tyler Bishop (2-4, 2 R, 5 RBI, HR) drove in five runs and homered to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, and Jackson Trout (2-5, 3 R) extended his team-leading hitting streak to 15 games for the Mavericks as they outhit the Tommies for the third straight game, 11-7.
St. Thomas scored a run in the first and four more in the second, three of those unearned due to Mavs errors, chasing starter Maddox Meyer (1.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K). But it didn't take long for the Mavericks bats to come to life in the third against Tommies starter Walker Retz. Second baseman Cooper Wesslund opened the inning with a double, and after right fielder Tyler Palmer walked, left fielder Jackson Trout beat out a bunt for an infield hit, loading the bases. The league's leading hitter Henry Zipay drew a bases loaded walk to extend his on-base streak to 26 games and bring in Omaha's first run.
Tyler Bishop followed with a sacrifice fly to score Palmer, one of five RBI on the day for the Omaha firstbaseman. Omaha's leading run producer went 2-4, including his team-best 8th homer of the season, with two runs scored, finishing the day with 46 RBI, also tops on the team. Noah Greise (3-5, 2 RBI) doubled home Zipay and Trout as Omaha cut the lead to 5-4 after three.
The Omaha bullpen continued to get the job done, extending their streak without allowing an earned run to 14 2/3 innings pitched behind the work of Landon Mueller, Cameron Teinert and Luke Gainer, until the Mavs offense completed the comeback. Bishop drove in the tying run with an infield grounder in the fifth, and though St. Thomas added a single run off Oliver Mabee (WP, 1-1) in the seventh to take the lead, Omaha rallied once again in the eighth. After Bishop opened the frame with a single, Greise beat out another bunt for a hit. Mason Gaines then sacrificed the two runners into scoring position before shortstop Drew Borner delivered the go ahead runs with a three-run homer, his third of the season, to give Omaha the 8-6 lead.
After St. Thomas scored a run to trim the Mavericks lead in the bottom of the eighth before Omaha plated three insurance runs in the top of the 9th on Bishop's three-run homer. Mabee (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 K) earned the win and Sam Beck (2.0 IP, 2 h, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) finished the Tommies for his second save of the season and the 11-7 win.
The 11-13 Mavericks entered the weekend in fourth place in the Summit League standings, but after taking two of three at UST moved into a tie for third with North Dakota State, also 11-13. SDSU (10-13) is 1/2 game back in fifth place, while Northern Colorado is in sixth place (8-16). Oral Roberts (15-8) is in second behind St. Thomas, though the Tommies are not eligible for the post-season due to their Division I transition. Thus, teams two through five in the conference standings will play in the Summit League Championship at Tal Anderson Field, May 21-24.
Omaha returns to Tal Anderson Field for their final homestand of the regular season, beginning with a three-game Summit League series May 9-11 against SDSU. Their final home game of the regular season is the rubber match of this year's crosstown set with Creighton, May 13th at 6:00 p.m. CT. Omaha's non-league game at Kansas State scheduled for May 6 in Manhattan, Kansas has been canceled. The Mavericks close out the regular season with three Summit League games at NDSU, May 15-17.
Ticket information and team updates can be found at Omavs.com. Fans can follow the Mavericks on social media: @OmahaBSB on X (formerly known as Twitter), @OmahaBSB on Instagram, #OmahaBSB on Facebook.
