Omaha Completes Sweep of South Dakota on Sunday
Apr 24, 2016 | Softball
OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha softball team earned its third Summit League series sweep with a 6-4 win over South Dakota on Sunday afternoon. UNO has now won five straight and 16 of its last 19 games.
The Mavericks are now 28-22 overall and 12-2 in Summit League play, while the Coyotes fall to 13-32 on the year and 7-5 in league play.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning. Freshman Kourtney Pock smashed the first pitch she saw over the center field wall to put Omaha ahead, 1-0. The homer was Pock's eighth of the season.
Sophomore Kelly Pattison doubled to center to start the bottom of the fourth and moved to third as senior Tara Trede executed a perfect sacrifice bunt. Junior Lia Mancuso lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Pattison and give the Mavericks a 2-0 lead.
Senior's Sydney Hames and Campbell Ditto singled to open the bottom of the fifth. Pinch runner sophomore Kylie Schwarting and Ditto moved up a base on Pock's infield grounder. South Dakota's right fielder made a diving catch on junior Lizzie Noble's line drive, but Schwarting and Ditto both tagged up and came into score on the play as Omaha increased its lead, 4-0.
South Dakota made it a one run game in the top of the sixth. Jamie Holscher was hit by a pitch and moved to second on Yvon Minogue's single. Katie Cochran cleared the bases with a three-run homer to left field.
Omaha added two more runs in the bottom of the frame. Pattison led off the inning with a single up the middle and moved to second on Trede's second sacrifice of the game. Junior Nicole Warren hit a double to center field to bring home Pattison. Warren came around to score on Hames' single to put UNO up three, 6-3.
The Coyotes tacked on a run in the top of the seventh and had two runners on with two outs. Minogue hit a liner that was grabbed by Warren to end the game and give Omaha a 6-4 win.
Hames and Pattison were the only Mavericks with multiple hits on the afternoon. Hames was 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Pattison was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Pock added a solo home run and an RBI and Noble drove in a pair of runs.
Laura Roecker (15-10) picked up the win with a complete game effort in the circle. Roecker allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits with a walk and eight strike outs.
Omaha wraps up the home portion of its schedule on Tuesday afternoon with a single game against Northern Iowa. Game time is set for 4 p.m. at Westside Field at Westbrook.
