ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Mavericks took their second series in a row today as they scored 20 total runs in a doubleheader at St. Thomas, winning game one 12-10 before getting walked off in a 9-8 loss in game two.
Omaha ends the week at .500 in the Summit League at 6-6 and 8-20 on the year. Meanwhile, the Tommies remain just ahead of the Mavericks in the standings at 5-3 in league play and 10-13 overall.
Game 1
After three errors by the Mavericks allowed St. Thomas to go up 4-0 through the first two innings, Omaha’s offense exploded in the top of the third with six runs. Henry Zipay and Matt Goetzmann led off the inning with a couple of singles, before Drew Lechnir bounced one at the plate and over the first baseman’s head for an unlikely RBI double. Then, first pitch swinging, Tyler Bishop made it back-to-back doubles when he laced one to left to get the Mavericks within one. Grant Sommers followed up by getting hit by a pitch, setting up Noah Greise who, in his 100th career game with the Mavericks, unloaded on one for a three-run homer to make it 6-4 Omaha.
Zipay led off the next inning with his first career triple and would later come around to score on a groundout from Bishop. Later, with the bases juiced, Tyler Palmer, who stayed in after pinch hitting in the third, was hit by a pitch to extend the lead to 8-4. In the fifth, Omaha would plate two more on an RBI single from Goetzmann and another RBI double from Bishop to grow the lead to 10-4.
Each team would get another run in the sixth, before St. Thomas would add another five in the final two innings to actually get within two. It was too little too late for the Tommies, though, as the Mavericks held on to win 12-10.
Game 2
The Mavericks struck first in game two as Sommers singled to center to bring home Lechnir, before UST’s first baseman dropped a routine popup off the bat of Palmer and allowed Bishop to score from second. The Tommies, however, got even in the bottom of the inning with two runs of their own. Later, in the bottom of the third, a triple from Joe Roder and a double from Brigs Richartz allowed St. Thomas to plate two more and take its first lead of the day.
UST’s lead was short lived as Lechnir immediately tied it up the next inning with a two-run opposite field double. Then, in the fifth, Greise hit his second go-ahead home run of the day to put Omaha in front 5-4. This was followed by a the most improbable RBI single ever off the bat of Trent Burkhalter, who popped it up a couple feet from the plate, only for no one to make the play and allowing Palmer to score from second.
The Tommies did cut the lead to one with a solo home run in the fifth, but despite getting runners on second and third they could not do any more as Harrison Kreiling struck out the last two batters. They would retake the lead in the seventh, though, on a two-run triple from Max Morris.
Omaha was not out of this yet as the Mavericks once again went back in front in the top of the eighth on their third home run of the day, this one being a two-run bomb off the bat of Burkhalter. In the end, with an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the ninth, the Mavericks were able to get one out but no more as the Tommies loaded the bases and walked it off to take game two of the doubleheader.
Inside the Box Score
Despite all of St. Thomas’ offensive production, Omaha’s pitchers did well to limit the damage and cut several rallies short, culminating in 29 stranded runners across both games.
After game one, Bishop became the first Maverick this year to have at least two games with at least four RBIs.
The Mavericks totaled three home runs across both games today and four in the whole series.
On Deck
Omaha plays the first four games of an eight-game homestand next week, beginning with crosstown rival Creighton on Tuesday at 6 p.m. followed by three games vs. South Dakota State starting on Friday at 6 p.m.
