GREELEY, Colo. – The Mavericks split a doubleheader with Northern Colorado today, taking the first game 8-4 before falling 15-5 in the series finale.
Omaha ends the week at 4-18 overall and 2-4 in the Summit League, while the Bears are now 2-22 and tied with the Mavericks at 2-4 in league play.
Game 1
The Bears quickly took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after a catcher’s interference call led to them scoring an unearned run. Omaha would get that run back the next inning as Jackson Trout led off with his first career hit and came around to score on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Noah Greise. UNC would again take the lead in the bottom of the inning after a couple of steals and a hit batter allowed Zane Zinicola to drive in a run on a fielder’s choice.
The Mavericks would take the lead for good in the top of the third following a three-run blast from Trout for his first career home run. The next inning, Tyler Bishop cranked a two-out solo shot over the wall in left center for his third home run of the year to make it 5-2. In the sixth, Bishop would come around to score on a Northern Colorado error, before Sid deMayo drove in his first run of the year on a sac fly to left to grow the lead to 7-2.
Meanwhile, on the mound, Caleb Riedel followed up his first two innings with another 3.2 scoreless frames. This included a 1-2-3 third inning and a fourth inning in which he struck out the side. In the sixth, he started the inning by recording his ninth and 10th strikeouts of the game, before a two-out rally ended his day and cut Omaha’s lead to 7-4. Joe Hackmann came in and immediately got the final out. After the Omaha tacked on another unearned run in the seventh, Hackmann returned to the mound and stayed in for the rest of the game, striking out seven over 3 scoreless innings en route to earning his first save as a Maverick.
Game 2
Northern Colorado took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and remained in front for the entire game. Trailing 7-0 in the fourth, Omaha finally broke through with a 4-run inning. The first six Mavericks all reached base safely, with Trout and Cardel Dick driving in the first two runs on back-to-back RBI singles. Bishop then drove in the third and fourth runs on a double that snuck right down the right field line.
Unfortunately, with their lead now down to just three runs, the Bears came right back and scored another seven runs over the next two innings, while Omaha only got one off another RBI single from Dick. UNC would go on to force the run rule after growing its lead to 10 runs in the eighth inning.
Inside the Box Score
Bishop led Omaha’s offense today by going 5-for-10 with three RBIs, two runs scored, and two XBHs. Trout also batted .500 (4-for-8) with three RBIs and three runs scored.
Mavericks pitchers recorded 27 strikeouts today, with eight out of nine pitchers used getting at least one.
On Deck
The Mavericks will return home next week to face reigning Summit League Champion and College World Series participant Oral Roberts in a three-game series starting next Thursday at 5 p.m.
