OMAHA, Neb. — Omaha softball erupted for 10 first-inning runs and downed North Dakota State 17-7 to complete a three-game sweep of the season-opening Summit League series at
Connie Claussen Field on Sunday afternoon.
One day after the two teams played in 90-degree heat, the early afternoon tilt was greeted by 20 mph winds and temperatures in the 40s. But the conditions did not seem to bother the Mavericks (20-7, 3-0 Summit), who sent 14 runners to the plate in the bottom of the first, highlighted by the first of two home runs on the afternoon from senior Taylor Sedlacek.
Sedlacek finished the day going 2 for 2 with two homers and five RBI, one of four Omaha hitters with multi-hit games. The senior leads the Mavericks with 11 home runs. Omaha has homered in 15 straight games.
Senior Bailey Sample went 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles, junior Katherine Johnson went 3 for 4 with four RBI, and junior Sammy Schmidt went 2 for 3 with a triple and four RBI as the Mavericks pounded out 13 hits in the five-inning run-rule win.
North Dakota State (16-16, 0-3) jumped out to the lead on Savannah Henzler's two-run homer in the first off sophomore starter Grace Hornbuckle, who didn't allow any more runs in her three innings of work. Sophomore Alyson Edwards pitched the final two innings to earn the win, improving to 2-0.
Omaha entered the week ranked fourth in the D1Softball Mid-Major Rankings and hosts crosstown foe Creighton in a nonconference game Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT. The Mavericks conclude a seven-game homestand with Summit League games Friday, Saturday and Sunday against Kansas City. All Maverick home games are streamed live on the Summit League Network.
