Streaking Mavs Sweep Doubleheader at WIU

Saturday, April 13

Macomb, Ill.

3:00 PM

Omaha

13-15, 0

Western Illinois

7-24, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Omaha	0	0	2	0	3	1	0	3	0	9	15	0
Western Illinois	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	9	2

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Omaha	0	2	0	0	3	0	0	5	7	0
Western Illinois	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	3	7	0

Huge Inning Propels 7-6 Win Over Iowa - Omaha Athletics

Streaking Mavs Sweep Doubleheader at WIU

Apr 13, 2013 | Baseball, General

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Omaha Athletics

Game 1 Box Score (PDF/HTML)
Game 2 Box Score (PDF/HTML)

MACOMB, Ill. – The Omaha baseball team stretched its win streak to seven straight games on Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader from Western Illinois, 5-3 and 9-2, at Boyer Stadium. With the wins, the Mavericks improved to 13-15 (7-0 Summit League) and maintained their spot as the conference leader, while the Leathernecks dropped to 7-24 (1-6 Summit League).

GAME 1 – OMAHA 5, WESTERN ILLINOIS 3
Zach Williamsen (2-1) earned the win in the opening game, giving up three runs on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Tom Constand (1-3) took the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and a walk. Junior Josh Bullock earned his sixth save of the year with a final scoreless inning.

Redshirt freshman Connor Messinger led the way, finishing 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, while freshman Marcus Ethen was 1-for-3 with two runs driven in.

Neil DeCook led Western Illinois at the plate, going 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored, and JP Maestas also tallied two hits.

Omaha scored early, putting up two runs on four hits in the top of the second inning. With one out, Messinger, freshman Cole Gruber and senior Cory Buckley singled to load the bases for Ethen, who delivered a two-run single up the middle to start it out at 2-0.

The Mavericks extended their lead in the fifth, adding another three runs with a pair of hits. Junior Caleb Palensky was hit by a pitch and advanced to second and third on wild pitches, then came across with sophomore Alex Mortensen's RBI single up the middle. Senior Ryan Keele was hit by a pitch, and senior Tyler Splichal walked, loading the bases for Messinger, whose two-run single to left center plated freshman Alex Schultz and Mortensen for a score of 5-0.

Western got on the board with two runs in the sixth and tacked on another in the seventh. Facing a one-out, bases-loaded situation, Bullock got Maki to ground into a double play to end the game with a final score of 5-3.

GAME 2 – OMAHA 9, WESTERN ILLINOIS 2
Mortensen came through in a big way in the second game, going 4-for-4 with a four RBI and a run scored.

Schultz, Buckley and junior Brett Bass all joined him with multi-hit performances, as Schultz was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, Bass was 2-for-5 with a run scored and another driven in, and Buckley went 2-for-5 with another score. Palensky and freshman Collin Leif both tallied a hit and two runs scored, and Palensky chipped in an RBI.

The Leathernecks were paced by two hits apiece from Dan Dispensa and Steve Kedroski, and Western totaled nine hits to Omaha's 15.

Senior Matt Tew (2-4) recorded his second straight win, allowing one run on seven hits over 6.0 innings with three strikeouts and two walks. Tyler Willman (0-4) took the loss, surrendering six runs (four earned) and 11 hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 7.0 innings. Junior Dylan Casey (1) earned his first save in the last 3.0 innings, giving up one run on two hits with four Ks.

UNO jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third. Schultz and Leif both singled, and a sacrifice bunt by Palensky put both into scoring position. Schultz then scored on a wild pitch, and Leif came in on Mortensen's RBI double to center.

The Mavericks put up a three-spot with three hits in the fifth. Palensky walked and Bass singled to short, and both scored on Mortensen's two-run double to center. Mortensen added a run of his own by way of Splichal's RBI single up the middle, pushing it to 5-0. The lead was extended to 6-0 in the sixth, as Buckley led off with a single to left center and later tallied a run on Schultz's RBI single through the right side.

Western Illinois responded with a run in the sixth and another in the seventh, cutting it to 6-2.

Omaha pushed across three more runs in the eighth, using three hits and a Leatherneck error. Schultz reached with a bunt single, and Leif got on with a fielding error, and both advanced into scoring position with a balk. Palensky then singled through the right side to score Schultz, and Bass came through with a single through the left side that plated Leif. Omaha crossed its final run when Palensky scored on Mortensen's sacrifice fly, leaving the score at 9-2.

The Mavericks limited Western to just one hit in the eighth. In the ninth, Casey shut down the Leathernecks with three consecutive strikeouts, helping Omaha to its seventh straight victory and a perfect 7-0 start to Summit League play.

Omaha returns to action on Sunday, April 14, meeting Western Illinois in the series finale. First pitch is set for Noon at Boyer Stadium in Macomb, Ill., and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.