OMAHA, NEB. –– Junior Maddia Groff tied a season high with 12 strikeouts as Omaha Softball opened its weekend series against South Dakota State with a 7-1 victory Friday night at Connie Claussen Field.
It was the third time this season that Groff recorded double-digit strikeouts. Groff, who worked the first six innings, struck out five straight during one stretch.
"I thought she mixed locations a little bit, (used her) changeup, went up and down," coach Mike Heard said of Groff. "I don't think they were real comfortable. She had them off balance a little bit in terms of what they were looking for."
The win improves Omaha to 26-8 as it continues to lead the Summit League with a 9-1 mark.
It was a solid performance from Omaha, as it scored in four of the first five innings and got a pair of highlight-reel catches in the outfield.
Omaha grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Bailey Sample hit a 265-foot two-run home run to left-center. It was the third baseman's fifth homer this season, and she has reached base safely in 16 straight games.
The Mavericks then took advantage of two Jackrabbit errors to tack on three runs in the third.
Rylinn Groff and Taylor Sedlacek reached on infield errors before Sample singled to load the bases. Katherine Johnson then drew a run-scoring walk, Marra Cramer lined an RBI single to left, and Alyson Edwards hit a sacrifice fly to center.
Omaha made it 6-0 in the fourth when Johnson roped a two-out single through the middle to score Emma Durr, who led off the inning with a single to left. Johnson now has a team-best 43 RBIs this season.
South Dakota State (23-25, 5-5) hit a leadoff home run to left-center in the fifth, but Omaha answered in the bottom of the inning as Durr scored on Sample's grounder to shortstop.
That home run was all Groff would allow on the night as she improved to 11-5. Groff also saw Cramer in center and Sammy Schmidt in right each make running catches at the fence.
Durr, Sample and Sedlacek each scored two runs for the Mavericks.
Omaha and South Dakota State will play again at 6 p.m. CT Saturday. Prior to the game, the Mavericks will celebrate the anniversary of the program's 2001 NCAA Division II national championship.
